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Venezuelan Bribery Scheme Unfolds in South Florida
Miami, Florida – A South Florida resident, Naman Wakil, 59, made his initial federal court appearance in Miami today to face an indictment charging him with laundering money and bribing Venezuelan officials in exchange for receiving lucrative contracts from Venezuela’s state-owned and state-controlled energy company, Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA), and Venezuela’s state-owned and state-controlled food company, Corporación de Abastecimiento y Servicios Agrícola (CASA).
According to court documents, from 2010 continuing through at least September 2017, Wakil allegedly conspired with others to make bribe payments to CASA officials and officials at joint ventures between PDVSA and various foreign companies in the oil-rich Orinoco belt of Venezuela. Wakil allegedly paid these bribes to obtain at least $250 million in contracts to sell food to CASA and do business with the PDVSA joint ventures, including obtaining highly inflated contracts (worth at least $30 million) to provide goods and services to the PDVSA joint ventures.
Wakil laundered funds related to the bribery scheme to and from bank accounts located in south Florida and purchased 10 apartment units in south Florida, a $3.5-million plane, and a $1.5-million yacht, among other things. Wakil also used a portion of the funds to make payments to or for the benefit of the Venezuelan officials.
The indictment charges Wakil with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), violating the FCPA, conspiracy to commit money laundering, international promotional money laundering, and three counts of engaging in transactions involving criminally derived property. If convicted, Wakil faces a maximum penalty of 80 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Wakil is scheduled for a pretrial detention hearing on Friday, August 6, at 10:00 a.m., in federal magistrate court in Miami.
Acting U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida, Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Miami Field Office made the announcement.
HSI Miami and IRS-CI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Berger of the Southern District of Florida and Attorney Alexander Kramer of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Deputy Chief, Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrienne E. Rosen and Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Stone are handling asset forfeiture.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Public Corruption|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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