Lopez, alongside one other former twenty first Century Fox govt, Carlos Martinez, had been accused on paying thousands and thousands of {dollars} to South American soccer officers between 2000 and 2015 to safe unique broadcasting rights to the Copa Libertadores, in addition to inside data on US broadcast rights to the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments.

Lopez and Martinez had been indicted in April 2020.

Jurors discovered Lopez responsible however Martinez was acquitted on the identical costs. Attorneys for Lopez mentioned he plans to attraction the choice.

South American sports activities advertising firm Full Play Group SA was additionally convicted.

Burzaco was the additionally the important thing witness within the trial of former Brazilian FA president Jose Maria Marin, Manuel Burga of Peru and former Conmebol chief and FIFA vice-president Juan Angel Napout. All of them pleaded not responsible to racketeering, cash laundering and wire fraud.

At that trial in 2017 Burzaco spent 4 days within the witness field detailing how his agency paid tens of thousands and thousands of {dollars} in bribes to the defendants and different officers.

Defence legal professionals have argued that the trial proved the guilt not of their shoppers however of these sports activities advertising executives who had beforehand pleaded responsible and struck plea discount offers to testify for the federal government. It was a defence argument that was used once more within the trial of Lopez and Martinez with legal professionals arguing Burzaco falsely accused the 2 males in hopes of getting a lighter sentence underneath his plea settlement with prosecutors.

Burzaco mentioned that Fox Sports activities, Grupo Televisa SAB, Media Professional, Globo, Full Play Argentina and Visitors Group had all bribed FIFA officers for broadcast rights. Burzaco had already pleaded responsible to his position and his agency forfeited greater than $110 million in December 2017. He nonetheless awaits sentencing.

“Right this moment’s verdict is a powerful victory for justice and for soccer followers all over the world,” mentioned Brooklyn U.S. Lawyer Breon Peace.

Televisa settles

In a separate however associated case, Mexican media large Grupo Televisa agreed earlier this month to pay $95 million to settle claims by traders that it paid thousands and thousands in bribes to safe World Cup broadcast rights.

The lawsuit was introduced by contributors in Canada’s Faculties of Utilized Arts & Know-how Pension Plan (CAAT), which holds shares in Televisa, in August 2018, who claimed that they had been misled.