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Office of Public Affairs | Former Energy Trader for Vitol Inc. Pleads Guilty to International Bribery Scheme | United States Department of Justice
by Gunnar Larson 27 Aug '24

27 Aug '24

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-energy-trader-vitol-inc-pleads-guilty… Between 2017 and 2020, Aguilar, who was a trader in Vitol’s Houston office, and his co-conspirators paid approximately $600,000 in bribes to two senior officials at PPI to obtain numerous contracts for Vitol to supply hundreds of millions of dollars of ethane to PEMEX. To conceal the scheme, Aguilar and his co-conspirators used a series of fake contracts, sham invoices and shell entities incorporated in Curaçao and Mexico. The defendant and his co-conspirators also used alias email accounts to communicate about the scheme and code words, including “shoes,” “medicine,” “invitations,” and “coffee,” to describe the bribes. Aguilar pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and to a violation of the Travel Act. The FCPA conspiracy charge, which was brought by a grand jury in the Southern District of Texas, related to conduct that was initially charged in the Eastern District of New York. As part of his guilty plea, Aguilar consented to transfer the Texas case to New York, to consolidate the cases, and to forfeit $7,129,938. The plea follows Aguilar’s related conviction at trial in February 2024 for conspiracy to violate the FCPA, violating the FCPA, and conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with schemes to bribe Ecuadorian and Mexican officials. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment on the money laundering offense and five years’ imprisonment on each of the other offenses. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. In December 2020, Vitol admitted to bribing officials in Ecuador, Mexico, and Brazil in violation of the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA. Vitol entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of New York. As a part of the resolution, Vitol agreed to pay a combined $135 million in penalties as part of a coordinated resolution with the Department of Justice, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and authorities in Brazil. Seven of the defendant’s co-conspirators have pleaded guilty for their role in the scheme and are awaiting sentencing. These individuals have agreed to forfeit more than $63 million in connection with this and related schemes. FBI Miami’s International Corruption Squad investigated the case. Trial Attorney Clayton P. Solomon and Assistant Chiefs Derek J. Ettinger and Jonathan P. Robell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, Trial Attorney D. Hunter Smith and Deputy Chief Adam J. Schwartz of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan P. Lax, Matthew R. Galeotti, and Nick M. Axelrod for the Eastern District of New York, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherin Daniel and Deputy Chief Suzanne Elmilady for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case. The MLARS Special Financial Investigations Unit and Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided substantial assistance. The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA and Foreign Extortion Prevention Act matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa. The Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative is led by a team of dedicated prosecutors in MLARS, in partnership with federal law enforcement agencies, and often with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, to forfeit the proceeds of foreign official corruption. Individuals with information about possible proceeds of foreign corruption located in or laundered through the United States should contact federal law enforcement or send an email to kleptocracy(a)usdoj.gov or https://tips.fbi.gov/.

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Re: Morning Spam
by Undescribed Horrific Abuse, One Victim & Survivor of Many 27 Aug '24

27 Aug '24

On Mon, Aug 26, 2024 at 20:41 Undescribed Horrific Abuse, One Victim & Survivor of Many <gmkarl(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > bad mcboss jokes subtype very very bad > >> these have apparently migrated to this main thread >> >> Q: why did traffick boss trip over a toenail? >> >> A: a secret shrink project almost nobody knew about was mid-fire when >> another project malfunctioned and teleported everybody between offices >> randomly, and struck traffick boss after teleporting. traffick boss was so >> zoned out from being mind controlled to do stuff all day every day, that he >> didn’t notice he was shrunk or that there was ahuge toenail in front of >> him. (because the computer found it more efficient to give people >> hallucinatory cleanliness than the real thing, janitor— >> >> Q: why was traffick boss investing billions of dollars into mind >> controlling a mall animal? >> >> A: another corporation was trying to stop his mind control projects and a >> discovered the animal was used in a small test once, and stimulated a >> campaign to protect it. traffick boss was mad about this, and wanted to >> completely dominate the animal as an expression of power, but a bunch of >> people inspired by the campaign had had turned the workings of his >> businesses to protect the animal. >> >> 2026 08-26 mt >> > > Q: why were elite militaries defending a wad of gum under somebody’s seat? > > A: some mind controllers had a proposal for the next interfaction secret > meeting where everybody in attendance is in amnesiatic fugue, so they mind > controlled diverse people across the world to hold it, who mind controlled > other diverse people across their world to hold it, who did the same, and > eventually it was stuck to the bottom of an unidentifiable seat as the wad > of gum of an anonymous pedestrian who promptly forgot everything they were > thinking and abandoned it. > > when it was coming time to present the proposal, a bunch of influential > people glazed over and dropped subliminal suggestions to a further > pedestrian, who got on the same bus, reached under the sear, and > confidently popped the strange gum in their mouth as if in a trance. their > brainwaves were read as they attentively chewed it, and the proposal > extracted from their brainwaves as they did so (and simultaneously read > psychically at the meeting thousands of miles away if you’re lucky!) > mistake: it has to go through the same number of layers of people like onion encryption > > (this isn’t fiction y’know!) > THE REBEL MEETINGS ARENT SECRET PLEASE STOP HOLDING THEM (?) also there are no secrets when using technology > > (possible mistake) > >>

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Re: Morning Spam
by Undescribed Horrific Abuse, One Victim & Survivor of Many 27 Aug '24

27 Aug '24

bad mcboss jokes subtype very very bad > these have apparently migrated to this main thread > > Q: why did traffick boss trip over a toenail? > > A: a secret shrink project almost nobody knew about was mid-fire when > another project malfunctioned and teleported everybody between offices > randomly, and struck traffick boss after teleporting. traffick boss was so > zoned out from being mind controlled to do stuff all day every day, that he > didn’t notice he was shrunk or that there was ahuge toenail in front of > him. (because the computer found it more efficient to give people > hallucinatory cleanliness than the real thing, janitor— > > Q: why was traffick boss investing billions of dollars into mind > controlling a mall animal? > > A: another corporation was trying to stop his mind control projects and a > discovered the animal was used in a small test once, and stimulated a > campaign to protect it. traffick boss was mad about this, and wanted to > completely dominate the animal as an expression of power, but a bunch of > people inspired by the campaign had had turned the workings of his > businesses to protect the animal. > > 2026 08-26 mt > Q: why were elite militaries defending a wad of gum under somebody’s seat? A: some mind controllers had a proposal for the next interfaction secret meeting where everybody in attendance is in amnesiatic fugue, so they mind controlled diverse people across the world to hold it, who mind controlled other diverse people across their world to hold it, who did the same, and eventually it was stuck to the bottom of an unidentifiable seat as the wad of gum of an anonymous pedestrian who promptly forgot everything they were thinking and abandoned it. when it was coming time to present the proposal, a bunch of influential people glazed over and dropped subliminal suggestions to a further pedestrian, who got on the same bus, reached under the sear, and confidently popped the strange gum in their mouth as if in a trance. their brainwaves were read as they attentively chewed it, and the proposal extracted from their brainwaves as they did so (and simultaneously read psychically at the meeting thousands of miles away if you’re lucky!) (this isn’t fiction y’know!) (possible mistake) >

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Patent Case Against USPTO Mimics Failed Suit, Feds Say
by Gunnar Larson 26 Aug '24

26 Aug '24

Patent Case Against USPTO Mimics Failed Suit, Feds Say <https://www.law360.com/governmentcontracts/articles/1872794?nl_pk=4126fe73-…> By Andrew Karpan The federal government has moved to toss a suit alleging that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's website infringes patents covering the idea of two-factor authorization, arguing that a patent in the same "family" was thrown out in 2016 by a different court that said it contained "nothing inventive." Motion attached | Read full article » <https://www.law360.com/governmentcontracts/articles/1872794?nl_pk=4126fe73-…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.com/governmentcontracts/articles/1872794?nl_pk=4126fe73-…>

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La. Judge Smashes EPA Civil Rights Regulations In State
by Gunnar Larson 26 Aug '24

26 Aug '24

La. Judge Smashes EPA Civil Rights Regulations In State <https://www.law360.com/compliance/articles/1873023?nl_pk=ab5ce197-c1fb-4d8e…> By Juan-Carlos Rodriguez A Louisiana federal judge has granted the state's request for a permanent injunction blocking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from enforcing civil rights regulations in the state that involve disparate impact components. Memorandum attached | Read full article » <https://www.law360.com/compliance/articles/1873023?nl_pk=ab5ce197-c1fb-4d8e…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.com/compliance/articles/1873023?nl_pk=ab5ce197-c1fb-4d8e…>

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Allstate Can't Get Injunction To Stop 'Smear Campaign'
by Gunnar Larson 26 Aug '24

26 Aug '24

Allstate Can't Get Injunction To Stop 'Smear Campaign' <https://www.law360.com/cybersecurity-privacy/articles/1873054?nl_pk=3dfd2fd…> By Elizabeth Daley A Colorado federal judge said she could not issue an injunction to force a former insurance agent whom Allstate alleges is conducting a "smear campaign" against it to immediately remove web content accusing the insurer of selling its customers' personal information to child rapists and sex traffickers. Order attached | Read full article » <https://www.law360.com/cybersecurity-privacy/articles/1873054?nl_pk=3dfd2fd…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.com/cybersecurity-privacy/articles/1873054?nl_pk=3dfd2fd…>

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Google Args Don't Erase 'History Is On, Jesus,' DOJ Says
by Gunnar Larson 26 Aug '24

26 Aug '24

Google Args Don't Erase 'History Is On, Jesus,' DOJ Says <https://www.law360.com/competition/articles/1872963?nl_pk=6416fd97-1dc4-4e0…> By Bryan Koenig Google employees were so conscious of hiding evidence of conduct "that leads to law suits" that they reacted quickly when forgetting to let internal chats delete automatically, the Justice Department said, pushing to punish the search giant for those policies in the looming advertising technology monopolization trial. 2 documents attached | Read full article » <https://www.law360.com/competition/articles/1872963?nl_pk=6416fd97-1dc4-4e0…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.com/competition/articles/1872963?nl_pk=6416fd97-1dc4-4e0…>

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Georgia Cases To Watch In The Last Half Of 2024
by Gunnar Larson 26 Aug '24

26 Aug '24

Georgia Cases To Watch In The Last Half Of 2024 <https://www.law360.com/legalethics/articles/1857943?nl_pk=153d4a8a-6fb9-4a5…> By Kelcey Caulder The prosecutions of former President Donald Trump and his election interference case codefendants, along with Atlanta rapper Young Thug's bid to have the judge overseeing his racketeering trial removed from the case, will take center stage in Georgia's courts as we enter the second half of 2024. Read full article » <https://www.law360.com/legalethics/articles/1857943?nl_pk=153d4a8a-6fb9-4a5…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.com/legalethics/articles/1857943?nl_pk=153d4a8a-6fb9-4a5…>

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Ohio Judge Dinged For Public Posts About Guardianship Spat
by Gunnar Larson 26 Aug '24

26 Aug '24

Ohio Judge Dinged For Public Posts About Guardianship Spat <https://www.law360.com/legalethics/articles/1872158?nl_pk=153d4a8a-6fb9-4a5…> By Emily Sawicki The Ohio Supreme Court has publicly reprimanded a probate court judge for allowing staff to make inaccurate comments to the press about a guardianship case and for posting comments about the case on the court's Facebook page, including accusing a man of elder abuse without evidence. Decision attached | Read full article » <https://www.law360.com/legalethics/articles/1872158?nl_pk=153d4a8a-6fb9-4a5…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.com/legalethics/articles/1872158?nl_pk=153d4a8a-6fb9-4a5…>

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Mich. Atty Guilty Of Murdering Client Faces Disbarment
by Gunnar Larson 26 Aug '24

26 Aug '24

Mich. Atty Guilty Of Murdering Client Faces Disbarment <https://www.law360.com/legalethics/articles/1872995?nl_pk=153d4a8a-6fb9-4a5…> By Danielle Ferguson The Michigan Supreme Court's prosecutorial arm on Friday urged the state's attorney watchdog to disbar a lawyer who was sentenced to spend life in prison for conspiring to kill his wealthy client to gain access to the client's trust, saying the attorney's conduct was "heinous and reprehensible." Notice attached | Read full article » <https://www.law360.com/legalethics/articles/1872995?nl_pk=153d4a8a-6fb9-4a5…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.com/legalethics/articles/1872995?nl_pk=153d4a8a-6fb9-4a5…>

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