A close ally of ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro pleaded guilty Tuesday to a single count of money laundering tied to an alleged bribery conspiracy to win lucrative government contracts in the South American country.
As part of the plea deal, Alex Saab agreed to cooperate in continuing federal investigations and forfeit $195 million in criminal proceeds from the corruption scheme.
Saab, 54, was deported in May by Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez to the U.S., which has been targeting the Colombian-born businessman for more than a decade.
The money laundering offense carries a maximum 20-year penalty but prosecutors agreed to recommend a sentence at the low end of the recommended range and seek additional reductions should his cooperation, including against four unnamed co-defendants, prove valuable.
Source: NBC 6 South Florida