United States v. Arturo C. M. Prijic (S.D. Fla. 2021)
United States v. Sergio R. M. Mendizabal (S.D. Fla. 2021)
United States v. Luis Berkman (S.D. Fla. 2021)
United States v. Bryan S. Berkman (S.D. Fla. 2021)
United States v. Philip Lichtenfeld (S.D. Fla. 2021)
Case Details
- Case Name
- United States v. Arturo C. M. Prijic (S.D. Fla. 2021)
United States v. Sergio R. M. Mendizabal (S.D. Fla. 2021)
United States v. Luis Berkman (S.D. Fla. 2021)
United States v. Bryan S. Berkman (S.D. Fla. 2021)
United States v. Philip Lichtenfeld (S.D. Fla. 2021)
- Foreign Official
- Arturo Carlos Murillo Prijic & Sergio Rodrigo Mendez Mendizabal, officials in the Bolivian Ministry of Government.
- Date of Conduct
-
2019 to 2020
- Nature of Business
- Arturo Carlos Murillo Prijic (“Prijic”), a citizen of Bolivia, was the former Minister of Government of Bolivia from around 2019 to 2020.
Sergio Rodrigo Mendez Mendizabal (“Mendizabal”), a citizen of Bolivia, served as an official in the Bolivian Ministry of Government from around 2019 until around 2020.
Luis Berkman (“L. Berkman”), a citizen of the United States, was the owner of a Florida-based Intermediary Company that sold tactical equipment. L. Berkman
was an associate of Prijic and a close associate of Mendizabal.
Bryan Samuel Berkman (“B. Berkman”), a citizen of the United States, is the father of Luis Berkman.
Philip Lichtenfeld (Lichtenfeld”), a citizen of the United States, was an associate of B. Berkman, L. Berkman, and Mendizabal.
- Influence to be Obtained
- According to filed criminal complaints, Prijic, Mendizabal, L. Berkman, B. Berkman, Lichtenfeld, and their co-conspirators knowingly and unlawfully conspired to commit a money laundering scheme between 2019 and 2020.
B. Berkman, L. Berkman, and Lichenfeld allegedly paid bribes totaling at least $602,000 to Prijic and Menidzabal. According to the DOJ, the bribes were paid to so that L. Berkman’s Intermediary Company would obtain business from the Bolivian Ministry of Defense. In violation of the FCPA and US money laundering laws, L. Berkman, B. Berkman, and Lichtenfeld allegedly advanced their bribery scheme by transferring money from the Central Bank of Bolivia to bank accounts belonging to the Intermediary Company in the United States.
According to the DOJ, they also transferred funds from the Intermediary Company to a bank account controlled by Lichtenfeld located in Bolivia. In an effort to advance their scheme, B. Berkman, L. Berkman, and Lichtenfeld
allegedly laundered cash payments of $582,000 to Prijic and Mendizabal.
The DOJ alleges that Prijic and Mendizabal used their official positions to assist the Intermediary Company with obtaining government contracts to supply nonlethal
weaponry and tactical equipment to the Bolivian Ministry of Defense.
They allegedly executed the “Tear Gas Contract” with the Bolivian Ministry of Defense to supply equipment like as tear gas and other non-lethal weaponry. In exchange they received $5,649,137. B. Berkman allegedly signed the Tear Gas Contract on behalf of the Intermediary Company.
- Enforcement
- All five defendants were charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. The charges remain pending.
- Amount of the Value
- $602,000.
- Amount of Business Related to Payment
- $5.6 million.
- Intermediary
- Company owned by Berkman.
- Reporting Requirements
- No
Defendants
Arturo Carlos Murillo Prijic
- Citation
- United States v. Prijic, No. 1:21-mj-03013 (S.D. Fla. 2021).
- Other Statutory Provision
- Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
- Disposition
- Pending, Pending
- Defendant Jurisdictional Basis
- Territorial Jurisdiction, Conspiracy
- Defendant's Citizenship
- Bolivia
- Individual Sanction
- Pending.
Sergio Rodrigo Mendez Mendizabal
- Citation
- United States v. L. Berkman, et al., No. 0:21-mj-06320 (S.D. Fla. 2021).
- Other Statutory Provision
- Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
- Disposition
- Pending, Pending
- Defendant Jurisdictional Basis
- Territorial Jurisdiction, Conspiracy
- Defendant's Citizenship
- Bolivia
- Individual Sanction
- Pending.
Luis Berkman
- Citation
- United States v. L. Berkman, et al., No. 0:21-mj-06320 (S.D. Fla. 2021).
- Other Statutory Provision
- Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
- Disposition
- Pending, Pending
- Defendant Jurisdictional Basis
- Territorial Jurisdiction, Conspiracy
- Defendant's Citizenship
- United States
- Individual Sanction
- Pending.
Bryan Samuel Berkman
- Citation
- United States v. L. Berkman, et al., No. 0:21-mj-06320 (S.D. Fla. 2021).
- Other Statutory Provision
- Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
- Disposition
- Pending, Pending
- Defendant Jurisdictional Basis
- Territorial Jurisdiction, Conspiracy
- Defendant's Citizenship
- United States
- Individual Sanction
- Pending.
Philip Lichtenfeld
- Citation
- United States v. L. Berkman, et al., No. 0:21-mj-06320 (S.D. Fla. 2021).
- Other Statutory Provision
- Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
- Disposition
- Pending, Pending
- Defendant Jurisdictional Basis
- Territorial Jurisdiction, Conspiracy
- Defendant's Citizenship
- United States
- Individual Sanction
- Pending.
