At the time of his arrest, Burzaco was the chief executive of a sports and marketing company, Torneos y Competencias (tohr-NAY’-ohs ee kohm-peh-TEHN’-see-uhs) S.A.
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Mr Burzaco faces charges of racketeering and wire fraud conspiracy. After Interpol named Burzaco a wanted person in June, he turned himself in to Italian authorities and remained under house arrest in Italy until flying to New York this week.
His arrival in the United States makes Burzaco the third defendant to date to be arraigned on the indictment, which was announced on May 27.
Prosecutors said that Burzaco conspired with other marketing executives to funnel US$110 million in bribes to soccer officials to obtain the exclusive rights for the 2015, 2019, and 2023 editions of the Copa America and a tournament celebrating the contest’s 100th anniversary called the Copa America Centenario. No one at Torneos y Competencias responded immediately to a request for comment.
– Reuters pic, August 1, 2015.An Argentine sports marketing executive on Friday pleaded not guilty and posted a US$20 million (RM76.46 million) bond, the second foreign national to appear before a US court in connection with a sweeping Federation Internationale de Football Association corruption scandal.
Burzaco’s decision to surrender-after reportedly disappearing from the hotel where officials from football’s global governing body FIFA were arrested in May-has triggered speculation he may negotiate a deal with prosecutors.
The judge has set bail at $20 million dollars.
Burzaco will next appear before a US judge on September 18. His sister dabbed her eyes with a tissue as she sat quietly in the hour leading up to the hearing alongside Burzaco’s ex-wife, who had flown from Buenos Aires for the hearing.
Among conditions of his release are that he live in an FBI-approved residence within 50 miles of the court.
He must surrender his passports to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, submit to electronic tagging and restrict his movements to New York and Long Island.
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A third defendant, Aaron Davidson, also has pleaded not guilty.
