The Court for the Southern District of Florida charged Maikel Moreno with four counts related to money laundering, conspiracy to launder money and participation in transactions of property derived from illegal activities, with maximum sentences of 20 years. The investigation details a conspiracy scheme through which different individuals allegedly bribed the prosecutor in exchange for favorable judicial decisions.
United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, mckenzie lapointepresented this Thursday, January 26 new charges against the former president of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) of Venezuela, in which the Venezuelan official is accused of participating in an alleged money laundering conspiracy network through US banks.
The investigation against Moreno was promoted by the investigation unit of the Department of Homeland Security, with the support of the Assistant Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Michael M. Berger, who investigated a bribery scheme in which The former president of the TSJ would have participated with PDVSA officials, judges of the Judiciary and private companies.
According to the results of the investigation, it is considered that Moreno received millions of dollars in bribes to favor individuals in at least 20 legal proceedings. Below are the specific cases indicated by the accusation against the Venezuelan:
The alleged crimes of Maikel Moreno
First, Moreno is charged with conspiracy to launder money, with a maximum sentence of 20 years. As part of this charge, he is accused of using the US banking system to transfer funds from illegal activities, with operations that involved assets worth more than $10,000, an amount from which these operations are considered a crime. In the case of Moreno, it is millions of dollars.
The court document highlights that the purpose of this conspiracy was personal enrichment and that of third parties also indicated in the investigation, through amounts received as bribes that were later laundered through the US banking system.
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The alleged bribes in favor of Moreno were obtained in exchange for him using his position within the TSJ, first as president of the Criminal Chamber and then as president of the entity, to favor individuals and companies with favorable judicial processes or even the dismissal of cases. .
The court indicates that, before taking office as president of the Judiciary, a businessman designated as “contractor 1” granted him 1 million dollars in exchange for resolving cases in a favorable manner for your company and people related to the subject. These payments were made to a Bank of America account in Miami.
This was the heaviest payment that Moreno would have received, but not the only one. The court document specifies a series of situations in which the official would have accepted bribes. The following list includes resolutions favorable to people who bribe in criminal proceedings.
- He agreed with the co-conspirator (judges who helped execute favorable sentences ordered by Moreno in the conspiracy scheme) identified as “co-conspirator 1” to remove an arrest warrant issued against an official identified in the document as “Venezuelan Official 1” .
- The “co-conspirators 1 and 2” granted house arrest to a relative of the businessman “contractor 2”.
- “Co-Conspirator 1” dismissed criminal charges related to “Contractor 3’s” company and its partners.
- “Co-conspirators 1 and 4” agreed with Moreno to dismiss a pending criminal case against a Venezuelan banker.
The following facts of alleged bribery detailed by the court correspond to civil processes flawed in exchange for payments to Moreno and his collaborators:
- “Co-conspirators 1 and 3” settled a case between a Venezuelan vehicle dealer and a US vehicle manufacturer ordering the seizure of a US company plant in Venezuela to favor the local merchant.
- Once again, “co-conspirators 1 and 3” agreed to dismiss a complaint against a Venezuelan appliance chain.
There is also a “co-conspirator 5” who would have played the role of “front man” to carry out financial operations on behalf of Moreno. He is specifically singled out for the following transactions:
- payment of more than $2.4 million to buy a house in the Lappato neighborhood, located in the municipality of Capannori, in Italy.
- The disbursement of more than $1.3 million for the purchase of an apartment in Miami.
- transfer more than $700,000 from a conspirator account at Bank of America to Moreno’s wife.
On the other hand, “co-conspirator 4” had the role of receiving the bribes and managing the money for Moreno. Research indicates that he had a ledger with more than 6.4 million dollars received in bribes. He mobilized these funds through accounts in the United States, Panama and Dominica; and were allegedly used to make the following purchases on behalf of Moreno:
- Some $1.5 million invested in the purchase, renovation and adaptation of a luxurious country house in La Romana, Dominican Republic.
- More of $1.3 million to acquire a building in Las Mercedes, Caracas.
- More of $300,000 paid musicians for their services at Moreno’s wedding.
- More of $65,000 in luxury items to furnish your property in Italy.
- More of $65,000 to buy a luxury vehicle in the Dominican Republic.
- More of $50,000 to a tourist agency for spending on luxurious trips to Japan and Turkey.
- More of $42,000 to an individual in Miami who would have covered the expenses of one of his stays in Miami.
The second charge for which Moreno is charged in the United States is “money laundering” and the maximum sentence is 20 years. The Venezuelan official is accused of this crime for making an alleged transaction of $700,000 through a Miami bank to an account in Puerto Rico, with the intention of using those ill-gotten funds to acquire a property in Venezuela.
Charges 3 and 4 are part of the same crime for “Participation in transactions of goods from illegal activities”, with a maximum sentence of 10 years. It was committed in two parts, by using the US banking system to transfer funds from illegal activities, with operations involving assets worth more than $10,000.
The first operation was executed on August 13, 2018, with the transfer of $42,925 from a bank in Dominica to an account in Miami for the benefit of Moreno. The second was carried out a week later, on August 20, 2018, with the transfer of $19,188 again from Dominica to an account in Miami.
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