Christian Javier Maldonado-Barillas ("Maldonado"), a resident of Venezuela and Fort Bend County, Texas, was employed by Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. ("PDVSA"), the state-owned Venezuelan oil company, or its wholly-owned subsidiaries staring in about 2005. During that time, Maldonado held a number of positions related to purchasing, including serving as a purchasing analyst for the PDVSA procurement subsidiary responsible for equipment purchases.
Roberto Enrique Rincon-Fernandez ("Rincon") and Abraham Jose Shiera-Bastidas ("Shiera") were businessmen who held a number of closely held companies which were used to secure contracts with PDVSA. Moises Abraham Millan Escobar ("Millan") was employed by, or worked as an independent contractor for, Shiera.
Between 2009 and 2012, Rincon, Shiera, and Millan made several payments disguised as commissions to Maldonado in exchange for lucrative energy contracts with PDVSA.
On November 24, 2015, the DOJ filed a single count sealed Information in the Southern District of Texas against Maldonado alleging conspiracy to commit money laundering. On December 3, 2015, Maldonado entered into a plea agreement with the DOJ, but as the plea agreement remains sealed, the details of the agreement are unknown. On July 12, 2016, the DOJ moved unopposed for a $165,000 money judgment against Maldonado, which the court granted on August 2, 2016. On May 28, 2019, the court sentenced Maldonado to two years probation. In addition to the earlier money judgment, the court ordered Maldonado to pay a mandatory assessment of $100.
