Regulatory filings have revealed that Fremont General Corp. executives sold nearly $9 million worth of stock in early January, more than a month before the company announced its subprime mortgage business was in danger of going bankrupt.

Seven executives form the Santa Monica-based lender, including Chief Executive Louis Rampino, sold a combined 543,746 shares back to the company on Jan. 4, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The filings were made Tuesday and reported on Wednesday.

The shares were sold at $16.21, which was the closing price on Dec. 29. Fremont shares have since lost nearly 50 percent and sat at $8.41, up nearly 5 percent, or 39 cents, Wednesday afternoon.

The company’s subprime-related slide began in early March after the company disclosed that it had received a cease-and-desist order from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. saying it needed to shore up its lending practices the company later decided to exit the subprime market altogether. Shares in Fremont have fallen as low as $5.55 since that announcement.