A former Merrill Lynch broker in Miami was awaiting sentencing in federal court while the Justice Department sought to recover millions associated with foreign corruption.
Federal investigators reported there was evidence that the bribes Brazilian and Ecuadorian companies paid were behind a dry cleaner, restaurants, and a real estate portfolio in Miami-Dade County.
Investigators reported Ecuador's comptroller general - tasked with preventing public corruption - accepted the bribes and his son, the Miami-based broker, laundered the money.
Federal investigators estimate there were 16 million in bribes and construction giant Odebrecht alone paid about 10 million in just five years.
In April, Carlos Polit, 73, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, three counts of concealment money laundering, and two counts of engaging in transactions in criminally derived property.
