Corsa Coal Corporation, headquartered in Pennsylvania, mined, processed, and sold metallurgical coal to customers in the domestic and international steel industries. The company operated mines in Pennsylvania and Maryland and conducted business in foreign markets, including, at various times, Egypt and Turkey.
Frederick Cushmore Jr., a U.S. citizen and resident of Connecticut, worked for Corsa Coal Corp between late 2016 and October 2020 in various international sales positions, including as Vice President, Head of International Sales.
Charles Hunter Hobson, a U.S. citizen and resident of Tennessee, worked for Corsa Coal Corp between 2016 and March 2018 in various international sales positions, including as Vice President of Appalachian Business.
According to the documents in this case, between 2016 and October 2020, Cushmore conspired with others to pay bribes to a high-level executive at Al Nasr Company for Coke and Chemicals ("Al Nasr"), an Egyptian state-owned and state-controlled entity, as well as other Egyptian government officials, in order to obtain and retain lucrative sales contracts for Corsa Coal Corp. The scheme involved making commission payments to Corsa Coal Corp's sales agent in Egypt on each metric ton of coal that the company sold to Al Nasr. It was understood and intended that a portion of the commissions that Corsa Coal Corp paid to the agent would be passed on as bribes to the Egyptian officials. In all, Corsa Coal Corp shipped coal to Al Nasr in Egypt on approximately thirteen occasions, and Al Nasr paid the company approximately $143 million in connection with these coal shipments.
On November 3, 2021, the DOJ filed a single count information in the Western District of Pennsylvania against Cushmore alleging a conspiracy to violate the antibribery provisions of the FCPA. Cushmore pled guilty on November 17, 2021, and he is scheduled to be sentenced on December 17, 2025.
This case is ongoing.
In a related proceeding, on March 29, 2022, the DOJ filed a seven count indictment in the Western District of Pennsylvania against Hobson alleging (1) a conspiracy to violate the antibribery provisions of the FCPA, (2-3) direct violations of the antibribery provisions of the FCPA, (4-6) money laundering, and (7) a conspircy to commit wire fraud. Hobson pled not guilty on April 19, 2022. A trial was scheduled to begin on April 21, 2025, but on February 20, 2025, Hobson moved that the court continue the beginning of his trial for at least 180 days in light of President Trump's February 10 executive order pausing FCPA enforcement. On March 4, 2025, the DOJ responded that this case was under prioritized review and that it expected to have an update on the status of the case by March 18. Thus, it moved to hold Hobson's motion in abeyance andresetting the first day of trial to May 5.
