REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Sept 2 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge has thrown out the convictions of a former Fox executive and an Argentine sports marketing company for attempting to bribe soccer officials in exchange for lucrative broadcasting contracts.
In a Friday night decision, U.S. District Judge Pamela Chen in Brooklyn said the March 9 convictions of Hernan Lopez and Full Play Group could not stand because the federal law governing honest services wire fraud did not cover foreign commercial bribery.
The judge also voided Lopez's and Full Play's money laundering convictions, because they were predicated on the fraud convictions.
David Sarratt, a lawyer for Lopez, said: "We are obviously pleased with Judge Chen's thorough and correct decision.
At least 31 people and corporate entities pleaded guilty, and two soccer officials were convicted in a 2017 jury trial.
Persons:
Hernan Lopez, Brendan McDermid, Pamela Chen, Joseph Percoco, Andrew Cuomo, Chen, Lopez's, Attorney Breon, David Sarratt, Lopez, Chen's, Carlos Ortiz, Ortiz, Prosecutors, Carlos Martinez, Alejandro Burzaco, Torneos, Jonathan Stempel, Rosalba O'Brien
Organizations:
Century Fox, Court, REUTERS, Fox, U.S, New, Attorney, Saturday, U.S . Department of Justice, FIFA, Fox International, South, CONMEBOL, Copa Libertadores, North, CONCACAF, Argentine, Thomson
Locations:
Brooklyn New York City, U.S, Argentine, Brooklyn, U.S ., South American, North American, New York