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Enforcement Action Dataset

 

Initiation Date:    07/23/2018  Information

Prosecuting Agency:    U.S. Department of Justice

Type of Action:    DOJ Criminal Proceeding

Docket or Case Number:    18-cr-20685

Court:    S.D. Florida

Name of Prosecuting Attorneys:   

  • Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney
  • Francisco R. Maderal, Assistant United States Attorney
  • Michael B. Nadler, Assistant United States Attorney
  • Sandra L. Moser, Acting Chief, Fraud Section, Criminal Division
  • Gwendolyn A. Stamper, Trial Attorney, Fraud Section, Criminal Division
  • Nalina Sombuntham, Assistant United States Attorney
  • Robert A. Zink, Chief, Fraud Section, Criminal Division
  • Paul A. Hayden, Trial Attorney, Fraud Section, Criminal Division

US Assisting Agencies:   

  • U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Foreign Enforcement Action/Investigation:    Unknown

Foreign Assistance:   

  • Italian Law Enforcement Agency (IT)
  • Maltese Law Enforcement Agency (MT)
  • Spanish Law Enforcement Agency (ES)
  • U.K. National Crime Agency (GB)

Origin of the Proceeding:    Unknown

Whistleblower:    Unknown

Case Status:    Ongoing


Summary  Information

Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. ("PDVSA") was the Venezuelan state-owned and state-controlled oil company.

Francisco Convit Guruceaga was a Venezuelan national.

Jose Vincente Amparan Croquer, a.k.a., "Chente," was a Venezuelan national and purported professional money launderer. Amparan was associated with an unnamed Spanish real estate investment firm that was allegedly a money laundering front operation.

Carmelo Urdaneta Aqui was a Venezuelan national and former Legal Counsel to the Venezuelan Ministry of Oil and Mining.

Abraham Edgardo Ortega was a Venezuelan national and former Executive Director of Finance at PDVSA

Gustavo Adolfo Hernandez Frieri was a Colombian national and naturalized U.S. citizen. Hernandez was a purported professional money launderer who allegedly used his financial firms, Global Security Advisors (GSA) and Global Strategic Investments, in Miami, Florida, to launder money with false mutual-fund investments.

Hugo Andre Ramalho Gois was a Portuguese national and purported professional money launderer.

M.F.G. Acosta y Lara was a Uruguayan national who was part of an ownership group of at least one U.S. bank that facilitated money laundering.

Mario Enrique Bonilla Vallera was the eighth defendant.

According to the documents filed in this case, all eight defendants were involved in a wide-ranging conspiracy to launder money associated with bribery and embezzlement at PDVSA.

On August 16, 2018, the DOJ filed a nine-count indictment in the Southern District of Florida against the eight defendants alleging conspiracy to launder money, direct money laundering violations, and travel act violations.

On October 24, 2018, the DOJ filed a superseding inIormation against Ortega alleging a single count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

On October 31, 2018, Ortega entered into a plea agreement with the DOJ. Under the terms of the plea, Ortega agreed to plead guilty to the single count in the superseding information. The DOJ agreed to dismiss the remaning counts against Ortega from the indictment. On September 23, 2019, the court ordered Ortega to forfeit the assets in several bank accounts as well as $2 million in convertible notes in an LLC. The total amount that Ortega was ordered to forfeit was $12 million, as stipulated in the earlier preliminary forfeiture order filed on June 24, 2019. On May 5, 2021, the court sentenced Ortega to 28 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release and ordered him to pay a mandatory assessment of $100.

On November 26, 2019, Frieri entered into a plea agreement with the DOJ. Under the terms of the plea, Frieri agreed to plead guilty to a single count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and the DOJ agreed to dismiss the remaining counts against Frieri from the indictment. On February 5, 2020, the court ordered Frieri to forfeit $12,330,000. The government agreed to credit Frieri for any forfeiture obtained against Ortega up to $12 million. On April 30, 2021, the court sentenced Frieri to 46 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release and ordered him to pay a fine of $50,000 plus a mandatory assessment of $100.

Aqui was arraigned on August 31, 2020. On July 12, 2021, the DOJ filed a second superseding information against Aqui alleging a single count of conspiring to commit money laundering, and on July 14, Aqui entered into a plea agreement. On August 5, 2021, the court issued a preliminary forfeiture order against Aqui for a total of $49,265,050.85. On June 16, 2022, the court sentenced Aqui to 52 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay a criminal fine of $35,000 plus a mandatory assessment of $100.

On November 16, 2023, the DOJ dismissed with prejudice the indictment against Acosta y Lara.

This case is ongoing.

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