FIFA scandal: Brazil’s former chief extradited to US, appears in court
BROOKLYN: U.S. pros ecutors have extradited a third defendant in the unfolding FIFA corruption case that stretches from Argentina to Switzerland.
José Maria Marin, the former president of the Brazilian soccer federation and one of nine world soccer officials indicted by the Department of Justice last spring, arrived in the United States on Tuesday and became the fourth defendant in the case to answer to the allegations against him.
Marin, 83, pleaded not guilty in Brooklyn federal court to an array of charges, including racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy.
He is accused of accepting bribes from business executives in connection with the sale of marketing rights for the Copa América, a South American soc-
MARIN, 83, PLEADED NOT GUILTY IN BROOKLYN FEDERAL COURT TO AN ARRAY OF CHARGES, INCLUDING RACKETEERING CONSPIRACY, WIRE FRAUD CONSPIRACY AND MONEY LAUNDERING CONSPIRACY.
cer tournament, and the Copa do Brasil.
Arrested in Zurich along with six other soccer officials, Marin, a citizen of Brazil who belonged to the organizing committee for Olympic soccer tournaments, had been held in jail by Swiss authorities since May.
He had fought extradition to the United States. But in late October, Marin consented to come to the United States after Swiss authorities steadily ruled that several of his co-defendants in similar situations would be extradited.
Perhaps seeing extradition as inevitable and seeking leniency from U.S. prosecutors through cooperation, he agreed to be extradited.
On Tuesday, the Swiss Federal Office of Justice announced that Marin had been handed over to two U.S. police officers who accompanied him on a flight to New York. Hours later, he was arraigned in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn before Judge Raymond J. Dearie. $15 MILLION BAIL Marin will be released on $15 million bail, the second-highest amount to be posted by a defendant in the case.
Alejandro Burzaco, an Argentine businessman, posted $20 million for his release; Jeffrey Webb, a FIFA official and citizen of the Cayman Islands, posted $10 million; and Aaron Davidson, an American businessman, posted $5 million.
Also on Tuesday, U.S. prosecutors in the FIFA case asked to postpone a procedural hearing that included Burzaco, Webb and Davidson.
They asked that the hearing, scheduled for November 18, be rescheduled for December, when Marin and his lawyers would be likely to participate with more substantive updates of their own.
In July, Webb was the first FIFA official to arrive to the United States from Switzerland. Burzaco turned himself in to authorities in Italy and was also extradited. Davidson was arrested at home in Miami in May.
Five defendants in the case remain in Switzerland, while five others are abroad, from Brazil to Trinidad and Tobago.