A federal jury in Miami has found Carlos Ramon Polit Faggioni, the former Comptroller General of Ecuador, guilty of his involvement in a large-scale international bribery and money laundering operation. The scheme involved over $10 million in bribes from Odebrecht S.A., a construction company based in Brazil.
Evidence presented during the trial revealed that between 2010 and 2015, Polit accepted bribes from Odebrecht to avoid imposing fines on its projects in Ecuador. In 2015, he also received a bribe from an Ecuadorian businessman to help secure contracts with Ecuador's state-owned insurance company.
Nicole M. Argentieri, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, stated: “As Comptroller General of Ecuador, Carlos Ramon Polit Faggioni was entrusted to protect the people of Ecuador from the misuse of public funds. Instead, Polit abused his position as a public official by soliciting and pocketing over $10 million in bribes and then laundering the illicit funds in Miami.”
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida emphasized the significance of this verdict: “This verdict is a reminder of our office’s firm commitment to investigating and prosecuting corrupt foreign officials who bring their criminally obtained funds to South Florida to buy real estate.”
Polit orchestrated a plan from 2010 until at least 2017 where another conspirator used Florida companies registered under friends’ names to conceal proceeds from his bribery scheme. These funds were also used for purchasing and renovating real estate properties in Florida.
Special Agent Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami remarked: “This conviction shows that despite your wealth, title, or influence, nobody is above the law.” He further noted HSI's ongoing efforts with partners on the El Dorado Financial Crimes Task Forces against corrupt officials exploiting their positions for personal gain.
The jury convicted Polit on several counts including conspiracy to commit money laundering and concealment money laundering. Each count carries a maximum penalty ranging up to 20 years imprisonment for money laundering charges and up to 10 years for engaging in transactions involving criminally derived property. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines among other factors.
Odebrecht S.A.'s connection with this case dates back to December 2016 when it pleaded guilty to violating anti-bribery laws under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) due to paying nearly $800 million in bribes across multiple countries including Ecuador.
The investigation was led by HSI’s Miami Field Office alongside substantial contributions from FBI International Corruption Squad regarding Odebrecht's case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs played a crucial role along with support from law enforcement authorities across Ecuador, Brazil, Panama, and Curacao.