Moises Abraham Millan Escobar ("Millan"), a resident of Venezuela and Fort Bend County, Texas, was employed by, or worked as an independent contractor for Abraham Jose Shiera-Bastidas ("Shiera"), a businessman who owned a number of U.S. and Venezuela based energy companies that supplied equipment and services to Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. ("PDVSA"), the state-owned oil company of Venezuela.
Between 2009 and 2012, Millan conspired with Shiera and Roberto Enrique Rincon-Fernandez ("Rincon"), another businessman who owned a number of U.S. and Venezuela based energy companies that supplied equipment and services to PDVSA, to make bribes of money, recreational travel, meals, and entertainment to officials of PDVSA in exchange for lucrative energy contracts.
On January 7, 2016, the DOJ filed a single count sealed information in the Southern District of Texas against Millan alleging conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA. On January 19, 2016, Millan entered into a plea agreement with the DOJ, but as the plea agreement remains sealed, the details of the agreement are unknown. On July 19, 2016, the DOJ moved unopposed for a money judgment of $533,578.13 against Millan, which the court granted on August 30, 2016. On September 6, 2019, the court sentenced Millan to 3 years probation and ordered him to pay a fine of $15,000 plus a mandatory assessment of $100.
The DOJ charged Rincon and Shiera in a separate proceeding.
