An oil-and-gas trader faces new charges in connection with an international oil and gas trading bribery and money-laundering scheme.
A federal grand jury on Tuesday returned a superseding indictment charging 66-year-old Gary Oztemel, of Riverside, with violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, conspiracy to commit money laundering and two counts of money laundering. He was previously charged with one count of money laundering.Â
Authorities say that Oztemel and Eduardo Innecco, a Brazilian-Italian oil and gas broker, paid bribes to Brazilian officials for their help winning contracts with Brazil’s state-owned energy company, Petrobras, for Oztemel’s two Connecticut trading companies.
Oztemel was the owner of Oil Trade & Transport S.A. in Greenwich and Petro Trade Services Inc. in Stamford.
The scheme, which took place from 2010 to 2018, also involved Oztemel’s brother, Glenn, a Brazil-based intermediary, authorities said.
As part of the scheme, a Petrobras official provided the Oztemels and Innecco, and others, with confidential information regarding Petrobras’ fuel oil business, according to the Department of Justice
Also, Gary Oztemel used his company Petro Trade to conceal the proceeds, the DOJ said.
If convicted, Gary Oztemel faces a maximum of five years in prison for conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, a maximum of 20 years for money laundering conspiracy and the first money laundering charge and a maximum of 10 years for the second money laundering charge.
The FBI is investigating the case. The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
