United States v. Steven J. Ott (D.N.J. 2007)
United States v. Roger Michael Young (D.N.J. 2007)

• Case Name
• United States v. Steven J. Ott (D.N.J. 2007)
  United States v. Roger Michael Young (D.N.J. 2007)

• Date Filed
• 07/25/2007

• Enforcement Agency
• DOJ

• Countries
• Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal

• Foreign Official
• Employees of State-Owned Telecommunications Carriers.

• Date of Conduct
• 2001 to 2004

• Nature of Business
• Procurement of telecommunication services contracts by ITXC Corp. (“ITXC”), a U.S.-based provider of global telecommunications services.  In 2004, ITXC merged with Teleglobe International Holdings, Ltd. (“Teleglobe”), a U.S.-based provider of international voice, data, Internet, and mobile roaming services.  Steven J. Ott was ITXC’s Executive Vice-President of Global Sales and Roger Michael Young was ITXC’s Managing Director for Africa and the Middle East.

• Influence to be Obtained
• Ott and Young helped arrange several payments to officials at government-owned telephone companies, including Nitel, Rwandatel, and Sonatel.  In exchange for the payments, they sought the award of lucrative telephone contracts to provide individual and business telecommunication services in those countries.

• Enforcement
• Ott and Young pleaded guilty to violating the FCPA on July 25, 2007.  On July 21, 2008, Ott was sentenced to 5 years’ probation, including 6 months of home confinement, 6 months in a community corrections facility, 200 hours of community service, and a fine of $10,000.  On December 1, 2008, Ott filed a motion to reduce the provisions of his sentence, due to his parents’ declining health.  The court denied his motion on January 8, 2009. 
  On September 2, 2008, Young was sentenced to 5 years’ probation, including 3 months of home confinement, 3 months in a community corrections facility, 200 hours of community service, and a fine of $7,000.
   

• Amount of the Value
• $267,468.48.

• Amount of Business Related to Payment
• Not Stated

• Intermediary
• Fictitious “Sales Representative” Entity Owned by Ultimate Recipient (Nigeria); None (Rwanda, Senegal).

• Compliance Monitor
• No

• Reporting Requirements
• No

• Case is Pending?
• No

• Related Enforcement Actions
• SEC v. Yaw Osei Amoako (D.N.J. 2005)
  SEC v. Steven J. Ott and Roger Michael Young (D.N.J. 2006)
  United States v. Yaw Osei Amoako (D.N.J. 2005)
  

Steven J. Ott 

• Citation
• United States v. Ott, No. 07-cr-00608 (D.N.J. 2007);

• Date Filed
• 07/25/2007

• Filed Under Seal
• No

• FCPA Statutory Provision
• • Conspiracy: Anti-Bribery

• Other Statutory Provision
• Conspiracy (Travel Act).

• Disposition
• Plea Agreement

• Defendant Jurisdictional Basis
• Domestic Concern

• Defendant's Citizenship
• United States

• Individual Sanction
• 5-Years Probation; $10,000 Criminal Fine.

Roger Michael Young 

• Citation
• United States v. Young, No. 07-cr-00609 (D.N.J. 2007).

• Date Filed
• 07/25/2007

• Filed Under Seal
• No

• FCPA Statutory Provision
• • Conspiracy: Anti-Bribery

• Other Statutory Provision
• Conspiracy (Travel Act).

• Disposition
• Plea Agreement

• Defendant Jurisdictional Basis
• Domestic Concern

• Defendant's Citizenship
• United States

• Individual Sanction
• 5-Years Probation; $7,000 Criminal Fine.