As highlighted in this prior post, in 2021 Frederick Cushmore Jr. (a former executive of Pennsylvania-based coal mining company Corsa Coal Corp.) was criminally charged and pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge to violate the FCPA’s anti-bribery provisions in connection with a bribery scheme in Egypt involving Al Nasr Company for Coke and Chemicals (“Al Nasr” or “NCCC” – an alleged Egyptian state-owned and state-controlled entity and a subsidiary of Metallurgical Industries Holding Company, which was owned and controlled by the Egyptian government).
In 2022, Charles Hunter Hobson (who served in a variety of roles at Corsa Coal from 2013 to 2018) was also criminally charged in connection with the same core conduct. (See here).
As highlighted here, in 2023 Corsa Coal resolved a $1.2 million FCPA enforcement action based on the same core conduct (after the DOJ concluded that the company was unable to pay the remaining $31.5 disgorgement amount).
Hobson exercised his constitutional right to a jury trial (believed to be just the 26th FCPA jury trial in the FCPA’s nearly 50 years).
The trial began earlier this month in the W.D. of Pennsylvania and earlier today the jury convicted Hobson on all counts.
As stated by Law360:
“A Pennsylvania federal jury Wednesday found a former coal executive guilty of authorizing bribes to the Egyptian government, following about five hours of deliberations … Hobson was found guilty on two counts of violating the FCPA, conspiracy to violate the FCPA, money laundering, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced June 25.”
