5 plead guilty to bribery scheme with Venezuelan oil company
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Venezuelan national living in Florida has pleaded guilty to federal charges for a bribery scheme involving contracts between several U.S.-based energy companies and the Venezuelan state-controlled oil and natural gas firm.
Abraham Shiera of Coral Gables entered his plea to foreign bribery and fraud charges Tuesday in Houston. He will be sentenced in July.
Shiera was named in an 18-count indictment with Robert Rincon of The Woodlands, Texas. Rincon's trial is scheduled for next month in Houston.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Federal prosecutors say the men carried out the scheme involving millions of dollars in contracts to ensure their firms won lucrative energy contracts with Petroleos de Venezuela S.A.
Documents unsealed Tuesday say four other men including three officials of the Venezuelan energy company pleaded guilty earlier to charges related to the scheme.