Title: Bolivian Ex-Minister Sentenced to 70 Months for Money Laundering in U.S. Company Bribery Case

Ex-Minister Arturo Carlos Murillo Prijic sentenced for his role in securing a $5.6 million contract

A Bolivian ex-minister, Arturo Carlos Murillo Prijic, 58, recently received a 70-month prison sentence for his involvement in a money laundering scheme involving a U.S. firm’s bribery of the Bolivian Ministry of Defense. Mr. Murillo pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy in a Miami court on October 20, 2022.

Bribes totaled over $500,000

According to court records, Murillo received over half a million dollars in bribes from a Florida-based company [^1] in exchange for facilitating the deal. The proceeds from this corrupt arrangement were laundered through the U.S. financial system, with bank accounts in Miami being utilized for the illicit transactions. More than $130,000 in cash bribe payments were handed over to Murillo at a family member’s home in Miami.

[^1]: Not named in the article.

Four co-conspirators previously sentenced

Four co-conspirators – Sergio Rodrigo Mendez Mendizabal, Luis Berkman, Bryan Berkman, and Philip Lichtenfeld – have previously pleaded guilty to their participation in the bribery scheme [^2]. They were all sentenced in June 2022.

[^2]: See related article on June 2022 sentencing: [Link to article]

High-ranking officials and law enforcement agencies involved

The announcement regarding the sentencing came from the following officials and law enforcement agencies:

• Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., Criminal Division, Justice Department
• U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Southern District of Florida
• Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami Field Office

Case investigation and prosecution

HSI’s Miami Field Office (Fort Lauderdale Unit) was responsible for investigating the case. Trial Attorney Jil Simon and Assistant Chief Gerald M. Moody Jr., Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli S. Rubin for the Southern District of Florida prosecuted the case, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle Charest-Turken handled the asset forfeiture.

Department of Justice’s Fraud Section handles FCPA matters

The Fraud Section is assigned to overseeing Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) matters for the Justice Department. For more details about their FCPA enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.