Tagged: FCPA

FCPA Potpourri: Catching Up with FCPA Enforcement

While we wait for the coming FCPA enforcement storm, DOJ and the SEC have quietly continued to rack up and resolve several enforcement actions.  Here is short and sweet review of many of these actions: Luis Enrique Martinelli, son of the former Panama President, was recently presented in federal court in Brooklyn after the U.S. finally secured his extradition from Guatemala.  Luis Enrique Martinelli sought...

Keeping Track of Third Party Risks – Bribery and Sanctions

We have heard it over and over, again and again – third-parties pose significant risks of bribery for all global businesses.  Almost every FCPA enforcement action includes some form of third-party misconduct.  The current picture from the Stanford FCPA Resource confirms the story. A cottage industry of automated platforms, data analytics, due diligence and monitoring strategies have grown around third-party bribery risk.  Companies have designed...

Former Ericsson Employee Indicted for Role in Foreign Bribery Scheme

In a surprising (but fully warranted) twist, the Justice Department returned an indictment against a former employee of Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (“Ericsson”), a global telecommunications company, for his role in paying approximately $2.1 million in bribes to high-level government officials in the Republic of Djibouti. Afework “Affe” Bereket, 53, a dual citizen of Ethiopia and Sweden, was charged in a two-count indictment – Count 1...

Two-Part Webinar: A Deep Dive into the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

Session 1 September 14, 2021, 12 Noon EST Sign Up HERE Session 2 October 5, 2021, 12 Noon EST Sign up HERE Global companies continue to face aggressive FCPA enforcement risks. The Biden Administration has defined global anti-corruption as a national security threat and is in the process of leading a robust initiative to increase global enforcement. The FCPA is the global foundation for anti-corruption...

1 MDB Corruption Scandal Ripples with Superseding Indictment of Jho Low and Former Rapper “Pras’ Michael for Back-Channel Attempt to Close 1MDB Prosecution

The scandal emanating from the 1 Malaysia Development Berhad fund (1MDB) continues to ripple through criminal law enforcement and criminal prosecutions.  Just to remind everyone, last year’s most significant FCPA enforcement case resulted in a $3 billion settlement with the Justice Department, the SEC and other agencies. Tim Leissner, the former Goldman Sachs Southeast Asia Chairman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to money laundering and FCPA...

Blue Umbrella Webinar: Anti-Corruption Risks and Compliance Trends in the Pharmaceutical, Medical Device and Life Science Industries

Tuesday, May 11, 2021 1 PM EST Sign-Up HERE Pharmaceutical, medical device and life science companies continue to face escalating anti-corruption risks in the global marketplace.  Companies in these industries face a complex global maze of foreign government laws and regulations that create significant risks for global companies in these sectors. The U.S. Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and foreign law enforcement...

The Urgency of Ethics and Compliance – The Biden Administration and Enforcement

The Biden Administration has a lot on its plate – that is obvious.  Tackling the COVID-19 pandemic and restoring economic growth is one of the most difficult challenges ever facing our country.  Across the government, a new administration poses significant changes in priorities. The Justice Department will be tough on corporate crime and compliance.  With the exception of a failure to prosecute individuals responsible for...

Sargeant Marine Pleads Guilty to FCPA Charges and Agrees to Pay $16.6 Million

The Justice Department announced a guilty plea to FCPA charges by Sargeant Marine, Inc., a privately-owned company, based in Boca Raton, Florida.  Sargeant Marine, an asphalt company, plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA and agreed to pay a fine of $16.6 million for bribery schemes in Brazil, Venezuela and Ecuador.  Between 2010 and 2018, Sargeant Marine...

DOJ Secures Guilty Plea and Charges A Second Former PDVSA Official with Money Laundering

The Justice Department continues to pursue criminal cases against Venezuelan officials at Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA) in an attempt to strangle President Nicolas Maduro.  DOJ has been pursuing a three-pronged strategy by bringing cases in the New York, Miami and Houston federal courts.  DOJ has been pursuing officials who have left Venezuela and now reside in Spain and other European locations.  DOJ has charged...