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Defendant Jose Manuel Gonzalez Testino, 49, of Miami, Florida, Pleads Guilty to Foreign Bribery Charges in Connection with Venezuela Bribery Scheme
A dual U.S.-Venezuelan citizen who controlled multiple U.S.-based companies, Jose Manuel Gonzalez Testino, pleaded guilty today for his role in the Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA) foreign bribery scheme.
The case involves bribes paid to PDVSA officials – Venezuela’s state-owned and state-controlled energy company – and its Houston, Texas-based subsidiary Citgo Petroleum Corporation (Citgo), to corruptly secure and retain energy and logistics contracts.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick of the Southern District of Texas (SDTX) and Special Agent in Charge Mark Dawson of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Houston Field Office made the announcement.
Gonzalez pleaded guilty in federal court in Houston to one count of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), one count of violating the FCPA and one count of failing to report foreign bank accounts.
U.S. District Judge Gray H. Miller of the Southern District of Texas accepted his plea today and set sentencing for August 28.
Gonzalez controlled a number of U.S. and international companies that provided goods and services to PDVSA. According to admissions made in connection with his guilty plea, beginning in or around 2012 and continuing through at least 2018, Gonzalez conspired with others to bribe PDVSA officials.
Gonzalez admitted that beginning in November 2012 and continuing until at least June 2013, he and a co-conspirator paid at least $629,000 in bribes to Cesar Rincon David Godoy (Rincon), the former general manager of Bariven, PDVSA’s procurement subsidiary.
Gonzalez also admitted he and his co-conspirators paid bribes to Alfonso Eliezer Gravina Munoz (Gravina) during the time Gravina was a PDVSA official at PDVSA Services Inc., another Houston-based PDVSA subsidiary.
Gonzalez becomes the latest individual to plead guilty as part of a larger, ongoing U.S. government investigation into bribery at PDVSA.
Including Gonzalez, the Justice Department and the SDTX have announced charges against 21 individuals, 16 of whom have entered guilty pleas in connection with the investigation.
Charges against the other five defendants remain outstanding.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
HSI in Houston is conducting investigations in connection with the bribery scheme.
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Public Corruption|White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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