Undercover Investigations Archives

DOJ Announces Indictment Of Oil Trader In Connection With Alleged Ecuador Bribery Scheme

By Mike Koehler on September 23, 2020 in 2020 Enforcement Action, DOJ Enforcement Action, Ecuador, Individual Enforcement Action, Javier Aguilar, Oil and Gas Industry, Undercover Investigations, Vitol

Yesterday, the DOJ announced that Javier Aguilar (described as a trader at the U.S. subsidiary of a multinational oil distributor and trading company – “Trading Company) was criminally charged for “his alleged participation in a five-year international bribery and money laundering scheme involving corrupt payments to Ecuadorian officials.” According to this report, Aguilar’s former employer is Vitol Inc. As highlighted in this previous post, Vitol has reportedly been under scrutiny.

Although not mentioned in the indictment, the DOJ releases references an “original complaint” and that the Ecuadorian officials included individuals associated with PetroEcuador (a business organization previously mentioned in FCPA enforcement actions – see here and here).

Foreign Official Reports Attempted Briber Leading To Enforcement Action

By Mike Koehler on April 29, 2020 in 2006 Enforcement Actions, Bribe Offers, DOJ Enforcement Action, Faheem Mousa Salam, Individual Enforcement Action, Iraq, Military and Law Enforcement Products Industry, Titan, Undercover Investigations

[This post is part of a periodic series regarding “old” FCPA enforcement actions]

The 2006 Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement action against Faheem Mousa Salam had an unusual origin in that the foreign official Salam attempted to bribe – a senior Iraqi police official – reported the conduct to the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR). The police official then became a confidential informant leading to an undercover operation by SIGIR with an agent posing as a Procurement Officer for the Civilian Police Assistance Training Team (CPATT – a multinational organization tasked with training, mentoring and equipping the Iraq Police Force and responsible for ordering and supplying materials to the Iraqi Police Force).

The enforcement action is also notable in that Salam was prosecuted, plead guilty, and was sentenced to three years in prison for offering the bribe.

From The Dockets

By Mike Koehler on August 13, 2019 in Frank Roberto Chatburn Ripalda, Lawrence Hoskins, Undercover Investigations

Updates in the FCPA prosecutions of Lawrence Hoskins and Frank Chatburn.

Hoskins

This previous post highlighted how Lawrence Hoskins (a U.K. national criminally charged with FCPA offenses in 2013) recently argued “enough is enough” as he seeks dismissal of the indictment based on violations of the Speedy Trial Act and his constitutional rights to a fair and speedy trial.

As reported here:

Jury Convicts Baptiste And Boncy

By Mike Koehler on June 24, 2019 in FCPA Trial, FCPA Trials, Haiti, Joseph Baptiste, Roger Boncy, Undercover Investigations

As highlighted in this previous post, in 2017 (in connection with an undercover string) the DOJ unsealed criminal charges against Joseph Baptiste (a retired U.S. Army Colonel, practicing dentist, and founder / president of a Maryland-based Haitian focused non-profit) for alleged Haitian bribery.

As highlighted in this previous post, in 2018 the DOJ added criminal charges against Roger Boncy in connection with the same core conduct.

Unlike most individual FCPA defendants, Baptiste and Boncy put the DOJ to its burden of proof. As indicated in this recent DOJ release after a two-week jury trial, a federal jury in Boston found Baptiste guilty of one count of violating the Travel Act and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and Boncy guilty of one count of conspiracy to violate the FCPA and the Travel Act.

Checking In On The Baptiste Enforcement Action

By Mike Koehler on April 29, 2019 in FCPA Trial, FCPA Trials, Joseph Baptiste, Undercover Investigations

As highlighted in this prior post, in August 2017, in connection with an undercover sting, the DOJ announced that Joseph Baptiste (pictured – a retired U.S. Army Colonel, practicing dentist, and former founder/president of a Maryland-based Haitian focused non-profit) was criminally charged “for his alleged role in a foreign bribery and money laundering scheme in connection with a planned $84 million port development project in Haiti.”

Baptiste’s trial is scheduled to begin in early June and this post checks in on the enforcement action.

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DOJ Announces Indictment Of Oil Trader In Connection With Alleged Ecuador Bribery Scheme

Foreign Official Reports Attempted Briber Leading To Enforcement Action

From The Dockets

Jury Convicts Baptiste And Boncy

Checking In On The Baptiste Enforcement Action

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