Frederic Cilins, a 51-year-old French citizen, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for obstructing a federal criminal investigation into alleged bribes paid to win mining rights in Guinea.
According to court documents, Cilins was affiliated with a mining company under investigation for potential violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and other crimes.
The investigation centered on whether the mining company paid bribes to officials of a former governmental regime in Guinea to obtain and retain valuable mining concessions in the Simandou region.
Cilins attempted to obstruct the investigation by agreeing to pay substantial sums of money to induce a witness to leave the United States to avoid questioning by the FBI, as well as to give documents to Cilins for destruction that had been requested by the FBI.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell stated, ‘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,’ Caldwell added.
In addition to his sentence, Cilins was ordered to pay a fine of $75,000 and forfeit $20,000.
The case was investigated by the FBI, with assistance from the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs and Office of Enforcement Operations.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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