Telecom Executive Pleads Guilty to Haitian Bribery Scheme
A former general manager of a Miami-based telecommunications company has pleaded guilty to his role in a scheme to pay $3 million in bribes to various Haitian officials to secure a lucrative contract with Telecommunications D’Haiti (Haiti Teleco), the state-owned and state-controlled telecommunications company in Haiti.
Amadeus Richers, 66, of Brazil, pleaded guilty in federal court in Miami to count one of a second superseding indictment charging him with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).
According to admissions in the plea documents, beginning in 2001 and lasting until 2004, Richers and his co-conspirators paid roughly $3 million in bribes directly and indirectly to foreign officials employed by Haiti Teleco and to a foreign official in the executive branch of the Haitian government in order to secure a favorable contract and favorable treatment in connection with that contract from Haiti Teleco.
The co-conspirators funneled some of the money through third-party intermediaries and paid other money directly to officials or relatives of officials, Richers admitted.
Richers is the ninth defendant to have pled guilty or to have been convicted at trial in this case.
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Nicola Mrazek and Trial Attorney Vanessa Snyder of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
The investigation is being conducted by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation’s (IRS-CI) Miami Field Office.
The government of Haiti and the government of Panama have provided significant assistance in this ongoing investigation.
Richers will be sentenced on September 20, 2023 and faces the consequences of his actions.
The case is a reminder of the importance of holding individuals accountable for their actions and the need for transparency and accountability in government contracting.
Key Facts
- State: Federal
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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