Former Swiss Banker Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering Charge in Connection With Soccer Bribery Schem

[nitpicker]

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-swiss-banker-pleads-guilty-money-laundering-charge-connection-soccer-bribery-scheme

Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, June 15, 2017

Former Swiss Banker Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering Charge in Connection With Soccer Bribery Scheme

Earlier today, a private banker formerly employed by several Swiss banks pleaded guilty in Brooklyn, New York, to a criminal information charging him with participating in a money laundering conspiracy in connection with the distribution and receipt of millions of dollars of bribes paid to high-ranking soccer officials.
(snip)

The defendant, Jorge Luis Arzuaga, a 56 year old Argentinian national, entered his plea before the Honorable U.S. District Court Judge Pamela K. Chen. According to the criminal information, between 2010 and 2015, the defendant was employed as a private banker at two financial institutions based in Switzerland, and he managed several accounts controlled by a sports media and marketing business headquartered in Argentina (the “Sports Marketing Company”). In that capacity, Arzuaga assisted the principal of the Sports Marketing Company, along with others, in paying bribes to various high-ranking soccer officials, the information states. According to the information, Arzuaga furthered the bribery conspiracy in a variety of ways, including by opening a bank account in the name of a shell company ostensibly established on behalf of the Sports Marketing Company, when, in fact, the true beneficial owner of this account was a high-ranking soccer official. In total, according to the information, Arzuaga assisted in paying more than $25 million in bribes into the account. Following the death of the beneficial owner of the account, Arzuaga arranged for the balance of the funds remaining in the account to be distributed to the soccer official’s heirs, the information states. In exchange for his assistance in facilitating the payment of these bribes, the information states that Arzuaga received approximately $1,046,000 in bonus payments.
(snip)

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. It seems the high-ranking soccer official was Julio Grondona

president of the Argentinian FA 1979-2014, and VP of FIFA 1988-2014, when he died. After that, FIFA said he was to blame for things.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julio_Grondona

http://www.eurosport.co.uk/football/banker-pleads-guilty-in-money-laundering-case_sto6218827/story.shtml