New York, NY – Earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn, Brayan Jiménez, the president of the Guatemalan soccer federation (FENAFUTG) from 2009 to 2015, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy in connection with his receipt of bribes in exchange for the awarding of contracts for the media and marketing rights to FIFA World Cup qualifier matches, and for authorizing certain “friendly” matches played by the Guatemalan national soccer team.
- Jimenez also agreed to forfeit $350,000
- At sentencing, Jiménez faces a maximum sentence of 20 years for each count
- Today’s plea proceeding took place before United States Magistrate Judge Robert M. Levy
- Jiménez negotiated and accepted bribes totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars in exchange for his agreement to exercise his influence as the president of FENAFUTG to award contracts to Media World, a Florida sports marketing company, for the media and marketing rights to the Guatemalan national soccer team’s home World Cup qualifier matches for the 2018 and 2022 editions of the World Cup
- Over a period of years, Media World transmitted these bribes from its U.S. bank accounts to the defendant and a co-conspirator, often using intermediaries in the United States and Guatemala
- Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan M. Norris, Amanda Hector, Paul Tuchmann, Nadia Shihata, Keith D. Edelman, and Brian D. Morris of the Eastern District of New York are in charge of today’s prosecution
- The government’s investigation is ongoing