A U.S. appeals court reinstated the convictions of a former Fox broadcasting executive and an Argentine sports marketing company linked to the FIFA corruption scandal on Wednesday.
Hernan Lopez, a former executive at 21st Century Fox and the marketing firm Full Play, was initially acquitted on appeal after being convicted in 2023 due to a judge’s reference to a U.S. Supreme Court decision.
However, an appeals court in New York ruled on Wednesday that the acquittal on appeal was a mistake, as it misinterpreted the legal standards around federal wire fraud.
The case against Lopez and Full Play arose from the 2015 investigation conducted by the U.S. Justice Department, which shook the foundations of FIFA and its continental associations in South and North America.
The U.S. inquiry involving raids on FIFA officials in Zurich resulted in numerous arrests, trials, and subsequent charges, convictions, and guilty pleas.
In March 2023, Lopez and Full Play were found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Lopez could face up to 40 years in prison and fines amounting to millions of dollars, while Full Play was anticipated to incur millions in penalties.
Prior to Lopez and Full Play’s convictions, the court was informed that six highly influential figures in South American football were the primary beneficiaries of the kickback scheme.
This group included former CONMEBOL president Nicolas Leoz, who passed away in 2019, former executive Julio Grondona of Argentine football, who died in 2014, and former Brazilian football leader Ricardo Teixeira.
