Sports

12 Schemes Outlined by Prosecutors in Soccer Indictment

Published

11 years ago

May 28, 2015

FILE - This is a combo of six file photos of the soccer officials involved in the US Justice Department of investigation into corruption at FIFA. From top left clockwise a Jeffrey Webb: Current FIFA vice-president and executive committee member, Concacaf president, Jose Maria Marin Current member of the FIFA organising committee for the Olympic football tournaments, Nicolas Leoz former FIFA executive committee member and Conmebol president, Eugenio Figueredo current FIFA vice-president and executive committee member, Jack Warner, former FIFA vice-president and executive committee member, Concacaf president, and Eduardo Li, current FIFA executive committee member-elect, Concacaf executive committee member. (AP Photo/File)

This is a combo of six file photos of the soccer officials involved in the US Justice Department of investigation into corruption at FIFA. From top left clockwise: Jeffrey Webb, current FIFA vice-president and executive committee member, Concacaf president; Jose Maria Marin, current member of the FIFA organising committee for the Olympic football tournaments; Nicolas Leoz, former FIFA executive committee member and Conmebol president; Eugenio Figueredo current FIFA vice-president and executive committee member; Jack Warner, former FIFA vice-president and executive committee member, Concacaf president; and Eduardo Li, current FIFA executive committee member-elect, Concacaf executive committee member. (AP Photo/File)

The Associated Press

The indictment of soccer officials and marketing and TV executives Wednesday alleges 12 schemes:

SCHEME A — 1993, 1995 AND 1997 COPA AMERICAS

Traffic Brazil purchased rights for the three tournaments in a deal worth $6.6 million. Nicolas Leoz of Paraguay, then president of the South American governing body CONMEBOL and later a FIFA executive committee member, refused to sign the contract until he received a dollar payment in six figures. In 1993 and 1995, Leoz demanded additional payments starting in 1993 or 1995 for future Copa America tournaments, and payments increased over time to seven figures. In 2007, the year Venezuela hosted the tournament, the country’s soccer federation president, Rafael Esquivel, demanded and received $1 million and $700,000 payments from Traffic.

SCHEME B — CONCACAF GOLD CUP

Traffic Sports USA caused hundreds of thousands in payments to be made to Jack Warner, then president of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), and co-conspirator No. 1, whose description matches that of then-CONCACAF General Secretary Chuck Blazer.

SCHEME C — COPA LIBERTADORES

Starting around the early 2000s, Leoz asked for payments from a sports marketing company and for diversion of payments slated to go to CONMEBOL in exchange for support of that company in a marketing deal. Leoz asked in February and May 2006 for more than $2 million owed to CONMEBOL by an affiliate of that company to be sent to Leoz’s accounts in Paraguay and Switzerland. Leoz asked for additional payments around 2008.

SCHEME D — COPA DO BRAZIL

Jose Maria Marin, then president of Brazilian soccer’s governing body, requested bribe payments in 2012 as part of Traffic Brazil and an unidentified sports marketing company’s contract for the Copa do Brazil for 2013-22. The bribe payments, which totaled 2 million reals (approximately $986,000), were split among Marin and two unidentified people.

SCHEME E — BRAZILIAN FEDERATION EQUIPMENT SUPPLIER

The Confederacao Brasileira de Desportos, the governing body of Brazilian soccer, announced a 10-year sponsorship and endorsement agreement with Nike in 1996 that made the company the exclusive jersey and equipment supplier to the federation, including the national team. Nike’s deal called for it to pay the CBF $160 million, of which the CBF gave a percentage to Traffic Brazil. Nike then agreed to pay a Traffic affiliate with a Swiss bank account an additional $40 million.

SCHEME F — 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014 World Cup QUALIFIERS IN THE CARIBBREAN

Warner was also president of the Caribbean Football Union and a special adviser to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation. Traffic USA bought rights to Caribbean home World Cup qualifiers from CFU, then bought the rights to Trinidad’s home qualifiers, which it already owned, from the TTFA. Traffic USA then diverted payments to a Warner-controlled account. In one of the examples, for 2006 World Cup qualifiers, Traffic USA paid the CFU $900,000, then agreed to pay the TTFA $800,000 for rights it already owned and wired the money to an account in Trinidad and Tobago that Warner controlled. For the 2010 World Cup, Traffic USA paid the CFU $2.2 million, then paid Warner-controlled accounts $800,000 for the same rights.

SCHEME G — 2010 WORLD CUP VOTES

In the early 2000s, Warner directed co-conspirator No. 14, identified as a member of his family, to pick up a briefcase with “bundles of U.S. currency in $10,000 stacks in a hotel room” from co-conspirator No. 15, identified as a high-ranking South African bid committee official. Before the vote for 2010 host, Warner traveled to Morocco and was offered a $1 million payment by a representative of its bid committee in exchange for his vote. Before the vote, co-conspirator No. 1 (who appears to be Blazer) understood a proposed $10 million payment was to be made to the CFU for the votes of himself, Warner and co-conspirator No. 17. South Africa was voted the 2010 host in May 2004. In January and March of 2008, $10 million in payments were made from a FIFA account in Switzerland to a Bank of America account in New York for credit to an account in the names of CFU and CONCACAF and controlled by Warner at Republic Bank in Trinidad and Tobago. In the following three years, Warner made three payments to co-conspirator No. 1 totaling $750,000.

SCHEME H — CENTRAL AMERICAN WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS

Eduardo Li, then president of Costa Rican soccer’s governing body, in 2009 asked for a six-figure bribe from Traffic USA as part of an agreement for rights for Costa Rica’s home qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup, a deal worth $2.55 million to $3 million, depending on the team’s success. The request was made to co-conspirator No. 4, whose description matches that of Enrique Sanz, who was a Traffic USA vice president before becoming CONCACAF general secretary in July 2012. Julio Rocha, then president of Nicaraguan soccer’s governing body and later a FIFA development officer, around 2011 also asked for a six-figure bribe from Traffic USA as part of an agreement for rights for Nicaragua’s home qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup, a deal worth $1,138,000 to $1,288,000, depending on the team’s success. During the time co-conspirator No. 4 negotiated on behalf of Traffic USA, bribes were paid to at least two other Central American soccer federation presidents.

SCHEME I — 2011 ELECTION FOR FIFA PRESIDENT

At a meeting in Trinidad and Tobago in May 2011 arranged by Warner, CFU staff gave officials envelopes each containing $40,000 and told them the money came from co-conspirator No. 7, whose description matches that of Mohamed bin Hammam at Qatar, then president of the Asian Football Confederation. At the time, bin Hammam was running for FIFA president in opposition to Sepp Blatter, who has served as president since 1998. After the payments became public and Warner resigned his soccer positions, on July 14, 2011 co-conspirator No. 7 caused $1,211,980 to be wired from an account he controlled in Qatar to a Citibank account for credit to Warner’s account at Intercommercial Bank in Trinidad and Tobago.

SCHEME J — CARIBBEAN WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS 2

Costas Takkas, an associate of Cayman Islands soccer federation president Jeffrey Webb, solicited a $3 million bribe from Traffic USA as part of a $23 million CFU deal for rights to Caribbean qualifiers for 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Webb had been elected CONCACAF president in May 2012. Co-conspirator No. 4 (who appears to be Sanz) participated in negotiations, and payments were made through entities controlled by Takkas. Some of the payments were transferred to United Community Bank in Blairsville, Georgia, in the account of a contractor who was building a swimming pool at Webb’s residence in Loganville, Georgia.

SCHEME K — CONCACAF GOLD CUP AND CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Co-conspirator No. 4 (who appears to be Sanz) negotiated a $15.5 million deal on behalf of CONCACAF with Traffic USA in November 2012 for rights to the 2013 Gold Cup and 2013-14 and 2014-15 Champions Leagues. Co-conspirator No. 4 solicited a $1.1 million bribe that was agreed to by Aaron Davidson, an executive of Traffic Sports USA, and co-conspirator No. 2, the founder of Brazil-based Traffic Group. CONCACAF and Traffic USA agreed on Nov. 15, 2013, to a $60 million deal for the 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021 Gold Cups, and six seasons of Champions Leagues through 2021-22. The parties agreed to a $2 million bribe for Webb.

SCHEME L — COPA AMERICA CENTENARIO

Prosecutors said CONMEBOL reached an agreement in 2013 with a new company, Datisa, on a $240 million contract for rights to the Copa America in 2015, 2019 and 2023, and the following year to a $112.5 million deal for the 2016 Copa America Centenario in the U.S. As part of the deals, prosecutors said Datisa agreed to pay $110 million in bribes to South American soccer officials.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

12 Schemes Outlined by Prosecutors in Soccer Indictment

Don't Miss

Coach Says Peterson Can Play for Vikings or Not Play at All

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Business

Sale of Coliseum to African American Developers Moves Toward Completion

The deal includes the sale of the Oakland Arena to an unidentified third-party buyer for no less than $100 million, which Bobbitt said was one of the most important aspects of the site’s future redevelopment.

Published

3 weeks ago

June 16, 2026

bpusa-syndication

The deal includes the sale of the Oakland Arena to an unidentified third-party buyer for no less than $100 million, which Bobbitt said was one of the most important aspects of the site’s future redevelopment.

‘This is on the precipice of actually occurring,’ said Ray Bobbitt, buyers’ representative

By Post Staff

After many months of complex negotiations, the Oakland Coliseum development deal is finally nearing an agreement that will open the way for new owners – the African Americans Sports and Entertainment Group (AASEG) – to revitalize the sports complex and the Hegenberger Corridor in East Oakland.

On May 28, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a non-binding agreement to dispose of the County’s portion of the complex for $115 million in a deal with AASEG, with a closing date set for June 30.

“People are seeing that this is on the precipice of actually occurring,” said Ray Bobbitt, founder of the AASEG and an East Oakland native. “People feel that this needs to happen for Oakland, for East Oakland in particular,” Bobbitt said, as reported in the East Bay Times.

The agreement would transfer ownership of the 112-acre Coliseum complex property, which was owned 50-50 by Alameda County and the City of Oakland, to Oakland Acquisition Company, which is AASEG’s real estate wing.

The County’s approval marks an important step in the sale of the property, even though concerns about environmental liability remain. Under the terms of the non-binding agreement, the county will pay $115 million to Coliseum Way Partners, the corporate entity of the Oakland Athletics that had previously purchased the county’s half of the property for $85 million.

AASEG will then pay $115 million to the County in three annual payments, with 5% annual interest paid on any outstanding balance, according to the term sheet.

AASEG already negotiated a purchase of the city’s half of the property for $125 million in 2025, awaiting the sale of the county’s half.

A strong supporter of the sale, Supervisor Nate Miley said he was not “breaking out the champagne” until the sale was final. This is not perfect, but it is good.

“It’s good because the County ends up with more money,” Miley continued. “It’s good because an African American team takes ownership of the property, and they’ve got a lot of potential in terms of what they want to do with the property.”

A remaining disagreement between Alameda County and the AASEG involves environmental concerns.

AASEG wanted a “carve-out” for environmental concerns so that it would not face liability for the release of groundwater into San Francisco Bay without a permit. Obtaining a permit could be time-consuming and expensive, requiring the need for consultants, studies, and an oversight process by the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board.

County supervisors unanimously supported the non-binding agreement without the carve-out, though Bobbitt said delaying or excluding the carve-out creates timing risks for the project.

“The motion is to accept the terms as presented, excluding the carve-out,” Board of Supervisors President David Haubert said. “Noting that it’s a non-binding term sheet and terms can always be discussed going forward. It’s been pointed out that that could affect the deal, timing, which we’ve been at this for nine years, but what’s a little more time?”

“The arena represents an anchor of the site,” said Babbitt. “This arena … has become a pop culture mecca, and the opportunity to enhance that and expand that is critical to the overall process.”

Speaking at the Board of Supervisors meeting, Miley explained the County’s reasoning behind some of the complex negotiations. He asked interim County Counsel Andrea Weddle:

“In layman’s term’s who’s on the hook for the environmental (cleanup)” under the current deal with the Oakland A’s?

“When the county with a former board entered in the deal with the (A’s), we took on all of the environmental obligations,” Miley said. “Since then, we’ve learned a lot more about the environmental conditions of the Coliseum.”

“If we do a deal with Coliseum Way Partners (the A’s), we remain on the hook,” she said. “If we do a deal as we’ve currently structured with OAC (AASEG), we have eliminated some or hopefully all (or) as much as we can of that liability and aligned our deal with the terms of the city.”

Bobbitt, despite his concerns, supported the nonbinding agreement. He said the public has waited nearly a decade to come to this point.

“The community support has been overwhelming,” he said. “We’ve used a lot of P-words: patience, perseverance, persistence. And we’ve just had to do it, and we understand how complex this has been.”

bpusa-syndication

Posts by bpusa-syndication

Alameda County

Seth Curry Makes Impressive Debut with the Golden State Warriors

Seth looked comfortable in his new uniform, seamlessly fitting into the Warriors’ offensive and defensive system. He finished the night with an impressive 14 points, becoming one of the team’s top scorers for the game. Seth’s points came in a variety of ways – floaters, spot-up three-pointers, mid-range jumpers, and a handful of aggressive drives that kept the Oklahoma City Thunder defense on its heels.

Published

7 months ago

December 4, 2025

Oakland Post

Seth Curry is a point guard on the GSW team.Photo courtesy of the Golden State Warriors.

By Y’Anad Burrell

Tuesday night was anything but ordinary for fans in San Francisco as Seth Curry made his highly anticipated debut as a new member of the Golden State Warriors. Seth didn’t disappoint, delivering a performance that not only showcased his scoring ability but also demonstrated his added value to the team.

At 35, the 12-year NBA veteran on Monday signed a contract to play with the Warriors for the rest of the season.

One of the most memorable moments of the evening came before Seth even scored his first points. As he checked into the game, the Chase Center erupted into applause, with fans rising to their feet to give the newest Warrior a standing ovation.

The crowd’s reaction was a testament not only to Seth’s reputation as a sharpshooter but also to the excitement he brings to the Warriors. It was clear that fans quickly embraced Seth as one of their own, eager to see what he could bring to the team’s championship aspirations.

Warriors’ superstar Steph Curry – Seth’s brother – did not play due to an injury. One could only imagine what it would be like if the Curry brothers were on the court together. Magic in the making.

Seth’s debut proved to be a turning point for the Warriors. Not only did he contribute on the scoreboard, but he also brought a sense of confidence and composure to the floor.

While their loss last night, OKC 124 – GSW 112, Seth’s impact was a game-changer and there’s more yet to come. Beyond statistics, it was clear that Seth’s presence elevated the team’s performance, giving the Warriors a new force as they look to make a deep playoff run.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Barbara Lee

WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries Kick Off Season with Community Programs in Oakland

“The Golden State Valkyries are more than a team—they’re a movement,” said Oakland Interim-Mayor Kevin Jenkins. “Their touchdown in Oakland marks a new era of opportunity, inspiration, and equity in sports. This partnership reflects our city’s deep commitment to uplifting women, investing in youth, and building a community where every dream has a place to grow. We’re proud to welcome the Valkyries to The Town.”

Published

1 year ago

May 18, 2025

Oakland Post

The Valkyries came to Oakland City Hall with a “Hoopbus.” Present were (from left to right): City Councilmembers Noel Gallo, Rebecca Kaplan, Zac Unger and Rowena Brown; Oakland Mayor-elect Barbara Lee, Valkyries President Jess Smith, a Valkyries team representative and Deputy Mayor LaNiece Jones. Photo courtesy Rebecca Kaplan’s office.

Team installs new nets at playgrounds, holds flag-raisings at City Halls in Oakland and S.F.

Special to The Post

The Golden State Valkyries brought the excitement of their inaugural season to every corner of the Bay Area with a full slate of community celebrations leading up to their historic home-opener against the Los Angeles Sparks at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Friday.

The week featured flag-raising ceremonies at city halls in Oakland and San Francisco, three “Violet Net” installation days at Oakland parks to encourage basketball play, fun “Hoopbus” takeovers at multiple schools presented by Kaiser Permanente, and player appearances.

In total, 90 violet nets were installed on 45 basketball courts across 34 public parks throughout Oakland this week. A list of the parks receiving violet nets can be found at Valkyries.com.

About the Golden State Valkyries

The Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA affiliate of the seven-time NBA Champion Golden State Warriors, were announced as the 13th WNBA franchise on Oct. 5, 2023. According to Norse mythology, Valkyries are a host of warrior women who are fearless and unwavering – flying through air and sea alike.

This brand is Golden State’s modern interpretation of Valkyries: strong, bold, and fierce. Tipping off during the 2025 WNBA season, the team is headquartered in Oakland and will play home games at Chase Center in San Francisco. For Golden State Valkyries’ assets, including team logos, visit valkyries.com.