Tag: bribery

Ericsson to Pay $206 Million for Breaking US Deal in Bribery Case

STOCKHOLM—Swedish telecom equipment maker Ericsson has agreed to plead guilty to U.S. foreign corruption violations and pay more than $206 million for breaking a deal with the Justice Department over charges of bribery and falsifying records in countries from China to Kuwait. The U.S. Justice Department said the company, based in Stockholm, violated a 2019…


Judge Orders Ex-Jail Union Boss to Be Freed in Bribery Case

NEW YORK—A powerful New York jail union boss-turned-prison inmate is poised to go free less than halfway through his sentence in a corruption case, after a judge decided this week that the nearly five-year term should be reduced. Norman Seabrook originally was sentenced to 58 months in prison on his federal conviction for taking bribes…


Billionaire Developer Li Zhang Arrested in London for Bribery in San Francisco, Facing Extradition

SAN FRANCISCO— Li Zhang, a Chinese billionaire who is cofounder and CEO of Guangzhou R&F Properties, was arrested in London on Nov. 30 under a provisional warrant issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Northern California District. Zhang was accused of “participating in a scheme to bribe public officials” between 2015 and 2020, according to…


Former Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi Acquitted in Bribery Case

ROME—An Italian court on Thursday acquitted former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi of bribing a witness in a 2013 underage prostitution case, giving a boost to the veteran politician weeks after his return to parliament. Berlusconi, 86, was charged with allegedly paying Italian singer Mariano Apicella 157,000 euros ($162,000) to lie in a previous trial where…


Brother of Ex-LA City Councilman José Huizar Agrees to Plead Guilty

LOS ANGELES—The brother of former Los Angeles City Councilman José Huizar—who faces federal racketeering charges stemming from an alleged pay-to-play scheme—admitted in a plea agreement filed Oct. 12 that he took cash from his brother on numerous occasions and immediately wrote checks back to him or arranged to pay his expenses, then lied about his…


Convictions in FBI Sting of Politician Should Be Thrown Out, Legal Scholar Says

An Ohio politician who was ensnared in an FBI “sting” wants his two corruption-related convictions thrown out—a challenge that ought to prevail, says a legal scholar who has followed the case closely. Lawyers for Alexander “P.G.” Sittenfeld, a former Cincinnati city councilman who was convicted of bribery and attempted extortion this summer, filed motions for…


Cincinnati Ex-Councilman’s Convictions Should Be Thrown Out, Legal Scholar Says

A former Ohio politician is seeking to have his two federal corruption-related convictions thrown out—a challenge that ought to prevail, according to a legal scholar who has followed the case closely. Lawyers for Alexander “P.G.” Sittenfeld, a former Cincinnati city council member who was convicted in July of bribery and attempted extortion, filed motions for…


Former Missouri Charity Executives Plead Guilty in Widespread Fraud Case

Two former Missouri-based non-profit executives pleaded guilty Thursday to their roles in a multimillion-dollar public scheme that involved embezzlement and bribing Arkansas elected officials, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Bontiea Bernedette Goss, 63, and her husband, Tommy Ray Goss, 66, received favorable legislative and official actions in return for bribes and kickbacks they, and…


Oracle to Pay About $23 Million to Resolve a Second SEC Bribery Case

Oracle Corp. will pay about $23 million to resolve charges its units in Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and India used slush funds to bribe foreign officials in order to win business, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said on Tuesday. The case covered alleged wrongdoing from 2014 to 2019, and is the second time…


Juror Ignores Judge’s Rules and Posts on Facebook During Major Trial

When empaneled jurors make social media posts during a trial, they risk opening Pandora’s box—a recurrent issue in courtrooms throughout the United States and in many foreign countries. The current case of a woman called “Juror X” in a Cincinnati federal court illustrates how jurors invite scrutiny and possibly jeopardize a verdict when they choose…