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Martinelli Brothers Sentenced To Prison In Connection With Odebrecht Bribery Scheme

Prison

As highlighted here, in November 2021 announced the unsealing of a 2020 criminal complaint against agents associated with Odebrecht in connection with the company’s 2016 FCPA enforcement action (see here for the prior post).

Brothers Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares and Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares (both citizens of Panama and Italy and the sons of former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli) allegedly “participated in the Odebrecht bribery scheme by, among other things, serving as intermediaries for bribe payments and the provision of other things of value that Odebrecht offered and provided to the Panama Government Official (their father). The complaint alleged that, among other things, the defendants “established offshore bank accounts in the names of offshore shell companies to receive and disguise bribe payments from Odebrecht made for the benefit of the Panama Government Official.

The brothers pleaded guilty and were recently sentenced to 36 months in prison and were ordered to forfeit more than $18.8 million, pay a $250,000 fine, and serve two years’ supervised release. (See here for the DOJ release).

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Friday Roundup

Roundup

Guilty plea, off-target, fear-based marketing, and for the reading stack. It’s all here in the Friday Roundup.

Guilty Plea

This recent post highlighted the DOJ’s money laundering case against Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares (a citizen of Panama and Italy) and his brother Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares (also a citizen of Panama and Italy), for “participat[ing] in the Odebrecht bribery scheme by, among other things, serving as intermediaries for bribe payments and the provision of other things of value that Odebrecht offered and provided to the Panama Government Official.

Yesterday, the DOJ announced that Luis Martinelli Linares pleaded guilty.

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DOJ Announces Money Laundering Charges Against Odebrecht Agents In Connection With Bribery Scheme Involving Their Close Relative Panamanian Official

Linares

With increasing frequency the Department of Justice is using money laundering statutes to criminally charge participants in alleged bribery scheme. (See here for the recent post documenting the trend).

In the latest example, yesterday the DOJ announced the unsealing of a June 2020 criminal complaint against agents associated with Odebrecht in connection with the company’s 2016 FCPA enforcement action (see here for the prior post).

According to the complaint, Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares (a citizen of Panama and Italy) and his brother Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares (also a citizen of Panama and Italy), both of whom travelled several times to the U.S. during the relevant time period, “participated in the Odebrecht bribery scheme by, among other things, serving as intermediaries for bribe payments and the provision of other things of value that Odebrecht offered and provided to the Panama Government Official. According to the complaint, both defendants “were close relatives” of the Panama Government Official.

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