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Enforcement Action Dataset

 

Initiation Date:    08/02/2021  Information

Prosecuting Agency:    U.S. Department of Justice

Type of Action:    DOJ Criminal Proceeding

Docket or Case Number:    21-cr-20406

Court:    S.D. Florida

Name of Prosecuting Attorneys:   

  • Alexander Kramer, Trial Attorney, Criminal Division
  • Michael N. Berger, Assistant United States Attorney
  • Emily Rose Stone, Assistant United States Attorney

US Assisting Agencies:   

  • Internal Revenue Service
  • U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Foreign Enforcement Action/Investigation:    Unknown

Foreign Assistance:    Unknown

Origin of the Proceeding:    Unknown

Whistleblower:    Unknown

Case Status:    Resolved


Summary  Information

Naman Wakil was a Syrian national and U.S. lawful permanent resident.

According to a DOJ press release, from 2010 continuing through at least September 2017, Wakil allegedly conspired with others to make bribe payments to officials at Venezuela’s state-owned and state-controlled food company that purchased food for Venezuela, Corporación de Abastecimiento y Servicios Agrícola (CASA), as well as to officials at joint ventures between Venezuela’s state-owned and state-controlled energy company, Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. (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.

On July 29, 2021, the DOJ filed a seven count indictment in the Southern District of Florida against Wakil alleging conspiracy to violate the FCPA, direct violations of the FCPA, conspiracy to commit money laundering, international promotional money laundering, and three counts of engaging in transactions involving criminally derived property.

On August 19, 2022, Wakil filed two motions to dismiss. The first sought to dismiss the entire indictment for failure to state a claim, and the second dought to dismiss counts one and three of the indictment on the grounds that those counts were duplicative and time-barred.

On September 6, 2023, the DOJ dismissed with prejudice the indictment against Wakil, closing the case.

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