Economy Briefs: BP agrees to pay $13M for refinery violations

With this deal, Nordstrom will become the largest U.S. retailer to sell a broad assortment of the U.K. brands’ fast-fashions in its stores and online. Topshop offers women’s clothing, while Topman is the menswear counterpart.

The partnership comes at a time when Nordstrom, which has enjoyed strong sales since the recession, is looking for new ways to get shoppers in its store more frequently.

Meanwhile, Arcadia is trying to raise its profile of Topshop and Topman in the U.S. among young customers.

CALIFORNIA

Ex-investigators for HP sentenced in fraud case

SAN JOSE — Two former private investigators have each been sentenced to three years of probation after authorities said that they used false identities to access Social Security numbers and other information on Hewlett-Packard board members, employees and journalists.

A U.S. District Court judge on Thursday also sentenced Joseph DePante and his son, Matthew DePante, to six months of electronic home monitoring as part of a plea deal after both pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to commit Social Security fraud.

Both men expressed remorse at their sentencing.

However, journalist Dawn Kawamoto said she was victimized and told the judge the defendants should receive more stringent sentences.

Federal prosecutors said HP had hired the DePantes’ Florida-based firm to track down who was leaking boardroom information to journalists in 2005.

The men were accused of directing other investigators posing as account holders or employees of phone companies to illegally obtain phone numbers, Social Security numbers, birth dates, call logs and other personal information.

• From wire dispatches and staff reports