Former Ecuadorian Comptroller General Found Guilty of Money Laundering in U.S. Court

Carlos Pólit, the former Comptroller General of Ecuador, was found guilty of money laundering by a federal jury in Miami, Florida on April 23, 2024.

Pólit voluntarily appeared before U.S. judicial authorities to face six charges related to a bribery case involving the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht, including conspiracy and money laundering.

Prosecutors accused Pólit of accepting more than $10 million in bribes from Odebrecht and other construction companies in exchange for government contracts in Ecuador. They alleged that Pólit laundered the bribe money through local banks into Miami-area real estate purchases made by his son, John Pólit, a banker who handled the transactions.

The jury of 12 people unanimously convicted Pólit on all counts after a two-week trial. Judge Katleen Williams has 45 days to determine the final sentence, with Pólit facing up to 60 years in prison if the maximum sanctions are imposed. The assets obtained through the money laundering activities, determined to be from criminal activities including the Odebrecht bribery payments and the Seguros Sucre case, will also be seized.

Why this matters: The conviction of Pólit, a high-ranking Ecuadorian official, in a U.S. court highlights the international reach of anti-corruption efforts and the consequences for those involved in major bribery scandals. It also underscores the role of the U.S. financial system in laundering illicit funds from abroad.

The charges against Pólit included conspiracy for money laundering, two counts of money laundering related to transfers made by Plastiquim and Cosani to an account in Florida, and two counts related to the purchase of an office building and the remodeling of a house in Florida. The U.S. Prosecutor's Office successfully seized the Miami office building purchased with money transferred from Odebrecht.

Pólit's lawyers argued that he did not touch any of the alleged bribe money, but the federal jury ultimately rejected this defense. "Pólit was a high-ranking official in Ecuador whose position required him to protect public funds, but instead, he abused his power and profited from corruption," said prosecutor Joseph Palazzo in his closing arguments. The case was built on an electronic trail of financial records, cooperating witnesses, and recordings, including testimony from an Odebrecht executive who admitted to paying Pólit a series of cash bribes.

In 2018, Pólit was sentenced in absentia to six years in prison in Ecuador for his involvement in the Odebrecht bribery scheme. Ecuador has an outstanding extradition request for Pólit. In addition to his U.S. conviction, Pólit faces up to 20 years in prison based on the charges in Ecuador, where he was also ordered to pay $40 million in reparations.

Key Takeaways

• Ecuador's former Comptroller General, Carlos Pólit, was found guilty of money laundering in the U.S.
• Pólit accused of accepting $10M+ in bribes from Odebrecht, laundering funds in Miami.
• Pólit faces up to 60 years in U.S. prison, $40M in reparations in Ecuador.
• Conviction highlights the international reach of anti-corruption efforts, role of U.S. finance.
• Pólit sentenced in absentia to 6 years in Ecuador, faces extradition request.