Three years ago, in the shadow of the financial crisis, some of the biggest banks on Wall Street slipped into the government’s cross hairs, The New York Times writes.

Now, after striking nine-figure settlements with firms like Goldman Sachs (GS) and JPMorgan Chase (JPM), the government’s campaign to punish Wall Street over risky investments sold before the crisis will culminate in an unlikely way — with the civil trial of a 34-year-old Frenchman, Fabrice P. Tourre.