Requesting: United StatesRequested: Guatemala

Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares and Ricardo Martinelli Linares: extradition case and outcome

The sons of a former Panamanian president were arrested in Guatemala in July 2020 on a US criminal complaint as they tried to leave on a private plane. Both were extradited to the United States in late 2021. Each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and was sentenced to 36 months in prison in May 2022.

Extradited Both brothers were extradited from Guatemala to the United States, Luis Enrique on 15 November 2021 and Ricardo on 10 December 2021.¹

Charges as alleged. The US Justice Department alleged that the brothers set up offshore bank accounts in the names of shell companies to receive and disguise more than 28 million dollars in bribe proceeds from Odebrecht S.A., for the benefit of a close relative who was a high ranking Panamanian official, with about 19 million dollars passing through US banks.¹

Charges are allegations unless a court has convicted. Each record states what each court or minister decided and the person's public response.

Decisions

27 June 2020US District Court for the Eastern District of New YorkCharged by criminal complaint.¹
6 July 2020Guatemalan authoritiesArrested at La Aurora International Airport while attempting to leave on a private plane.¹
4 February 2021Federal grand jury, Eastern District of New YorkIndicted.¹
15 November 2021Guatemalan authoritiesLuis Enrique Martinelli Linares extradited to the United States.¹
10 December 2021Guatemalan authoritiesRicardo Martinelli Linares extradited to the United States.¹
20 May 2022US District Court for the Eastern District of New YorkEach sentenced to 36 months in prison, two years of supervised release, a 250,000 dollar fine and forfeiture of more than 18.8 million dollars, after guilty pleas to conspiracy to commit money laundering.¹

What happened next

Each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and on 20 May 2022 was sentenced to 36 months in prison.¹

Response

No public statement by either brother or their lawyers was found in the sources read.

Legal points

The case arose from the wider Odebrecht bribery investigation. Odebrecht pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of New York on 21 December 2016 to conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.¹

Sources

US Department of Justice, Panama Intermediaries Each Sentenced to 36 Months in Prison for International Bribery and Money Laundering Scheme (20 May 2022)