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French Citizen Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Obstructing Investigation
A French citizen, Frederic Cilins, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for obstructing a federal criminal investigation of alleged bribes paid to secure valuable mining rights in the Republic of Guinea. Cilins, a 51-year-old resident of France, was ordered to pay a fine of $75,000 and to forfeit $20,000.
The investigation related to allegations that a mining company with which Cilins was affiliated paid bribes to officials of a former governmental regime of the Republic of Guinea to win valuable mining concessions in the Simandou region of Guinea.
Cilins agreed to pay substantial sums of money to induce a witness to destroy and turn over to Cilins for destruction documents related to the bribery allegations. He also sought to induce the witness to sign an affidavit containing false statements regarding matters under investigation by the grand jury, and tried to get the witness to leave the United States to avoid being questioned by the FBI about these allegations.
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara praised the outstanding efforts of the FBI in the investigation, which is ongoing. He also thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Office of Enforcement Operations for their assistance in the investigation.
The case is being handled by the Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisha J. Kobre and Trial Attorney Tarek Helou of the Fraud Section of the Criminal Division are in charge of the prosecution.
Bharara said, “Frederic Cilins went to great lengths to thwart a Manhattan federal grand jury’s investigation into an alleged bribery scheme in the Republic of Guinea. In an effort to prevent the federal authorities from learning the truth, Cilins paid a witness for her silence and to destroy key documents. Today, Cilins learned that no one can manipulate justice.”
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell said, “Cilins offered to bribe a witness in an FCPA investigation to stop the witness from talking to the FBI. Today’s sentence holds Cilins accountable for his effort to undermine the integrity of our justice system, and sends a message that those who interfere with federal investigations will be prosecuted and sent to prison.”
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge George Venizelos said, “Cilins obstructed the efforts of the FBI during the course of this investigation. His guilty plea and sentence demonstrate our shared commitment with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold accountable those who seek to interfere with the administration of justice. This case should be a reminder to all those who try to circumvent the efforts of a law enforcement investigation: the original crime and the cover-up both lend themselves to prosecution.”
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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