Law Enforcement | WPN World People News

A former manager of a U.S.-based logistics and freight forwarding company pleaded guilty to a foreign bribery charge for his role in a scheme to corruptly secure contracts and contract extensions from Venezuela’s state-owned and state-controlled energy company, Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA), on September 13. The guilty plea of the foreign official who was bribed was also unsealed, on September 13.

A Buffalo, New York, man who owned and operated a debt collection business was sentenced to 37 months in prison for tax evasion, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy Jr. for the Western District of New York, on September 13.

The former Director of the City of Detroit’s Office of Departmental Technology Services (DTS), on September 11, was sentenced to 20 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release, for accepting more than $29,500 in bribe payments from two information technology companies providing services and personnel to the City of Detroit.

A U.S.-based financial advisor pleaded guilty for his role in an international money laundering conspiracy involving the proceeds of a scheme to pay bribes to officials of Ecuador’s state-owned and state-controlled energy company, Empresa Pública de Hidrocarburos del Ecuador (PetroEcuador), on September 11.

Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Robert Lasky, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office and Michael J. De Palma, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) announced that on September 5, 2018, Yant Garcia, 38 of Hialeah, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States.

A New York-licensed attorney and former partner at a New York law firm pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and tax evasion arising from a scheme to embezzle millions of dollars from a deceased client’s estate, on September 6, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman for the Southern District of New York.

Two Indiana men pleaded guilty to conspiracy and other charges, on September 6, in relation to a 2014 scheme to trade in options ahead of SAP SE’s acquisition of Concur Technologies, which netted them hundreds of thousands of dollars in profits.

Two individuals associated with a mental health company pleaded guilty to health care fraud related to the submission of false claims to Medicaid and tax evasion, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Matthew G.T. Martin for the Middle District of North Carolina.

A Georgia man is charged with fraud and money laundering conspiracies and related offenses, according to an 18-count indictment unsealed on September 5.

A former Arkansas State Senator was sentenced today to 220 months in prison for organizing and leading a bribery scheme in which state funds were directed to non-profit entities in exchange for kickbacks, many of which were funneled through a consultant’s business, on September 5, announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Duane “DAK” Kees for the Western District of Arkansas.