On January 24, 2019, JoseĢ Luis de la Paz Roman pleaded guilty in United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida to one count of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. According to the criminal information, as part of the conspiracy, de la Paz wired millions of dollars to US bank accounts for the benefit of PetroEcuador officials.
De la Paz was sentenced on April 10, 2019, to 36 months in prison and ordered to forfeit $2,145,000.
The Department of Justice has secured at least five guilty pleas in connection with its PetroEcuador related investigation. An additional two individuals await trial.