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Father – Son Charged With FCPA Conspiracy In Connection With Sargeant Marine Action

By on January 21, 2021 in 2020 Enforcement Action, Brazil, Bruno Luz, DOJ Enforcement Action, Individual Enforcement Action, Jorge Luz, Sargeant Marine
fatherson

Some Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement actions slip through the cracks.

The mid-December 2020 enforcement action against Jorge Luz and his son Bruno Luz in connection with the Sargeant Marine enforcement action (see here and here for prior posts) appears to be one such action as the DOJ never issued a press release and the actions are not even mentioned on the DOJ’s FCPA website.

The Sargeant Marine enforcement action concerned conduct in Brazil, Venezuela and Ecuador and the Luz enforcement action was based on the same core Brazil conduct alleged in the Sargeant Marine (SMI) matter. As highlighted in this prior post, five individuals were previously charged with FCPA offenses in connection with the SMI matter and the Luz enforcement action continues the clustering dynamic often seen in DOJ FCPA individual enforcement actions (that is, most corporate FCPA actions lack related individual charges, yet a few corporate enforcement actions involve 5+ related individual actions).

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Vitol Resolves Net $90 Million FCPA Enforcement Action For Conduct In Brazil, Ecuador And Mexico

By on December 7, 2020 in 2020 Enforcement Action, Brazil, DOJ Enforcement Action, Ecuador, Foreign Non-Issuer Company, Gaining Access to Confidential Documents, Jurisdiction, Mexico, Oil and Gas Industry, Third Parties, Vitol
vitol

Last week the DOJ announced that Vitol Inc., the U.S. affiliate of the Vitol group of companies, which together form one of the largest energy trading companies in the world, agreed to resolve a net $90 million FCPA enforcement action for conduct in Brazil, Ecuador and Mexico.

As noted in the DOJ release (and as will be explored in a future post) “Vitol has also agreed to disgorge more than $12.7 million to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in a related matter and to pay the CFTC a penalty of $16 million related to trading activity not covered” by the DOJ enforcement action.

Under the heading “The Brazil Bribery Scheme” this criminal information alleges:

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Brazilian Company Bribes Brazilian Officials, U.S. Collects Net $155 Million In FCPA Enforcement Action

By on October 15, 2020 in 2020 Enforcement Action, Brazil, DOJ Enforcement Action, Executive Enforcement Action, Financial Services Industry, Foreign Issuers, Foreign Non-Issuer Company, Individual Enforcement Action, Joesley Batista, Jurisdiction, Pilgrims Pride, SEC Enforcement Action, Wesley Batista
J&F

This recent post posed the question of whether “foreign” in the FCPA’s “foreign official” element means as it relates to the U.S. or as it relates to the specific company at issue. The post highlighted how in recent years the FCPA enforcement agencies have adopted the former interpretation in bringing FCPA enforcement actions against foreign companies for allegedly bribing their own “domestic” officials – but “foreign” as it relates to the U.S.

In yet another example, the DOJ and SEC announced yesterday (see here and here) that J&F Investimentos S.A. (J&F a private investment holding company based in Brazil that owns approximately 250 companies primarily involved in the meat and agriculture business) and a related entity resolved a net $155 million FCPA enforcement action for allegedly bribing Brazilian officials.

The enforcement action involved a: (i) DOJ component against J&F resolved through a plea agreement in which the company paid net $128.2 million; and (ii) an SEC component against J&F, a related entity, and two individuals in which the related entity paid approximately $26.8 million and the two individuals each paid a $550,000 civil penalty.

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Sargeant Marine Cements $16.6 FCPA Resolution With DOJ Regarding Bribery Schemes In Brazil, Venezuela, And Ecuador

By on September 24, 2020 in 2020 Enforcement Action, Asphalt Industry, Brazil, Daniel Sargeant, David Diaz, DOJ Enforcement Action, E-Mail Issues, Ecuador, Gaining Access to Confidential Documents, Hector Nunez Troyano, Inability to Pay, Jose Tomas Meneses, Luiz Eduardo Andrade, Purchasing a Product, Roberto Finocchi, Sargeant Marine, Third Parties, Venezuela
Sargeant Marine

Earlier this week, the DOJ announced that Sargeant Marine Inc. (SMI – an asphalt company based in Florida) “pleaded guilty and agreed to pay $16.6 million to resolve foreign bribery charges stemming from conduct by the company and its employees and agents in Brazil, Venezuela and Ecuador.”

The total criminal penalty was actually $90 million, but because of SMI’s “inability to pay” the settlement amount was only $16.6 million.

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Alexion Pharmaceuticals Resolves $21.5 Million Enforcement Action

By on July 3, 2020 in 2020 Enforcement Action, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Brazil, Colombia, Gaining Access to Confidential Documents, Permits / Licenses / Customs / Tax, Pharmaceutical Industry, Russia, SEC Enforcement Action, Third Parties, Turkey
alexionsoli

Yesterday, the SEC announced that Alexion Pharmaceuticals (a company that has been under scrutiny since mid-2015) agreed to approximately $21.5 million to resolve an enforcement action based on the actions of foreign subsidiaries involving the company’s primary drug Soliris.

The conduct at issue focused on Alexion Illac Ticarent Limited Sirketi (Alexion Turkey), Alexion Pharma OOO (Alexion Russia), Alexion Pharma Brazil and Alexion Pharma Colombia SAS (all wholly-owned subsidiaries whose books and records were consolidated into Alexion’s financial statements).

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