U.S. District Judge Melissa Damian has finalized a judgment that forfeits over $20 million in foreign bribery and money laundering proceeds to the United States. This decision, made on January 8, follows a civil forfeiture complaint filed by the Justice Department on August 9, 2023.
The complaint alleged that approximately $21,248,434.25 in U.S. currency was linked to foreign bribery and money laundering offenses. Between 2008 and 2014, Naman Wakil, a Venezuelan national, allegedly controlled several companies selling food products to Venezuela's state-owned agency Corporacion de Abastecimiento y Servicios Agricola (CASA). To secure contracts with CASA, Wakil reportedly paid substantial bribes to multiple presidents of the agency. The resulting proceeds were funneled into accounts he managed in the Cayman Islands and Switzerland before being laundered into South Florida and other locations.
Markenzy Lapointe, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, emphasized the significance of this action: "This forfeiture is a reminder that the United States is prepared to uphold the integrity of the U.S. financial system against those who elect to launder ill-gotten gains by depositing and transferring those funds through U.S. financial accounts and acquiring assets in an attempt to cover their tracks."
José R. Figueroa, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami, stated: "This significant forfeiture underscores the HSI Miami El Dorado Task Force’s commitment to safeguarding the U.S. financial system from illicit activities."
Stefanie Hipkins from IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office added: "This announcement underscores our commitment to holding accountable those who engage in foreign bribery and money laundering."
The investigation was conducted by HSI Miami Field Office and IRS-CI Miami Field Office with prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marx P. Calderón, Michael Berger, and Joshua Paster.
Further details can be accessed via related court documents on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida or through their PACER system under case number 23-cv-22987.