Bolivian Minister, Florida Businessmen Embroiled in $602,000 Bribery Scheme

Five individuals, including a former Bolivian Minister of Government, have been charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with a bribery scheme that saw a Florida-based company paying $602,000 in bribes to secure a Bolivian government contract.

According to court documents, Arturo Carlos Murillo Prijic, 57, Sergio Rodrigo Mendez Mendizabal, 51, Luis Berkman, 58, Bryan Berkman, 36, and Philip Lichtenfeld, 48, engaged in the bribery scheme between November 2019 and April 2020.

The scheme involved Bryan Berkman’s Florida-based company paying bribes to Bolivian government officials, including Murillo and Mendez, so that the company could obtain and retain business from the Bolivian Ministry of Defense.

The bribes, totaling $602,000, were laundered through bank accounts in Florida and Bolivia, with $582,000 in cash being paid to Murillo and Mendez.

Each of the five individuals faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison if convicted.

The charges are a result of an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami office.

The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Jil Simon and Assistant Chief Gerald M. Moody Jr. of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli S. Rubin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.

The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

In this case, the charges are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case highlights the importance of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in preventing bribery and corruption in international business dealings.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida is responsible for investigating and prosecuting all FCPA matters.

The charges in the complaint are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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