Soccer

Fifa arrests: 16 officials charged by US department of justice

Charges are against current or former members of Concacaf and Conmebol

Law enforcement officials make more arrests during a pre-dawn raid on a hotel in Zurich as part of the ongoing investigation into football's world governing body FIFA. Video: Reuters
Les Carpenter in Washington
Thu Dec 03 2015 - 20:32

The US department of justice unsealed a 92-count indictment in federal court in Brooklyn against 16 new defendants as part of its broadening Fifa corruption investigation.The defendants are all current or former members of Concacaf and Conmebol and include top officials in both regional soccer federations. All are charged with racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering all in a scheme to enrich themselves.

“The betrayal of trust set forth here is outrageous,” US attorney general Loretta Lynch said on Thursday. “The scale of corruption alleged herein is unconscionable. And the message from this announcement should be clear to every culpable individual who remains in the shadows, hoping to evade our investigation: you will not wait us out. You will not escape our focus”

The justice department also announced that eight defendants arrested in May have entered guilty pleas including Jeffrey Webb, Alejandro Burzaco and Jose Marguiles.

Media representatives are seen in front of the entrance of the Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich, Switzerland, on Thursday. Photograph: EPA
Media representatives are seen in front of the entrance of the Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich, Switzerland, on Thursday. Photograph: EPA

The officials arrested include Concacaf executives Alfredo Hawitt, Ariel Alvarado, Rafael Callejas, Bryan Jimenez, Rafael Salguero, Hector Trujillo and Reynaldo Vasquez. From Conmebol, Fifa vice president Juan Angel Napout was arrested along with Manuel Burga, Carlos Chavez, Luis Chiriboga, Marco Polo del Negro, Eduardo Deluca, Jose Luis Meiszner, Romer Osuna and Ricardo Teixeira.

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Hawitt became president of Concacaf when Webb, his predecessor, was accused of corruption in May, when “it is alleged he assumed the mantle of the same corrupt practices”, Lynch said.

Napout is the president of Conmebol.

Burzaco pleaded guilty to racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering charges and will forfeit $21 million (€19.16 million). Webb will give up $6.7million (€6.1 million) and Margulies gives up $9.2 million (€8.4 million).

INDICTED

Alfredo Hawit: Current Fifa vice president and Executive Committee member and Concacaf president.

Ariel Alvarado: Current member of the Fifa Disciplinary Committee.

Rafael Callejas: Current member of the Fifa Television and Marketing Committee.

Brayan Jimenez: Current Guatemalan Soccer Federation president and member of the Fifa Committee for Fair Play and Social Responsibility.

Rafael Salguero: Former Fifa Executive Committee member and Guatemalan Soccer Federation president.

Hector Trujillo: Current Guatemalan Soccer Federation general secretary.

Reynaldo Vasquez: Former Salvadoran Soccer Federation president.

Juan Angel Napout: Current Fifa vice president and Executive Committee member and Concacaf president.

Manuel Burga: Current member of the Fifa Development Committee.

Carlos Chavez: Current Conmebol treasurer.

Luis Chiriboga: Current Ecuadorian Soccer Federation president and member of the Conmebol executive committee.

Marco Polo del Nero: Current president of the Brazilian Soccer Federation.

Eduardo Deluca: Former Conmebol general secretary.

Jose Luis Meiszner: Current Conmebol general secretary.

Romer Osuna: Current member of the Fifa Audit and Compliance Committee.

Ricardo Teixeira: Former Brazilian Soccer Federation president and Fifa Executive Committee member.

CONVICTED DEFENDANTS

Zorana Danis: The co-founder and owner of International Soccer Marketing Inc waived indictment and pleaded guilty to a two-count information charging her with wire fraud conspiracy and filing false tax returns.

Fabio Tordin: The former CEO of Traffic Sports USA Inc. and currently an executive with Media World LLC, waived indictment and pleaded guilty to a four-count information charging him with three counts of wire fraud conspiracy and tax evasion.

Luis Bedoya: A member of the Fifa Executive Committee, a Conmebol vice-president and, until last month, the president of the Federacion Colombiana de Futbol, the Colombian Soccer Federation, waived indictment and pleaded guilty to a two-count information charging him with racketeering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy

Alejandro Burzaco: The former general manager and chairman of the board of Torneos y Competencias SA, an Argentinian sports marketing company, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy.

Roger Huguet: The CEO of Media World and its parent company, waived indictment and pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud conspiracy and one count of money laundering conspiracy.

Jeffrey Webb: A former Fifa vice president and Executive Committee member, Concacaf president, Caribbean Football Union Executive Committee member and Cayman Islands Football Association president, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, three counts of wire fraud conspiracy and three counts of money laundering conspiracy.

Sergio Jadue: A vice-president of Conmebol and, until last month, the president of the Asociacion Nacional de Futbol Profesional de Chile, the Chilean Soccer Federation, waived indictment and pleaded guilty to a two-count information charging him with racketeering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy.

Jose Margulies: The controlling principal of Valente Corp. and Somerton Ltd, who served as an intermediary who facilitated illicit payments between sports marketing executives and soccer officials, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy and two counts of money laundering conspiracy.

(Guardian service)