Greenwich Man Charged In International Oil & Gas Trading Scheme: Feds

GREENWICH, CT — A Greenwich man has been charged in connection with an international oil and gas trading bribery and money laundering scheme, according to the United States Department of Justice.

A federal grand jury in the District of Connecticut on Tuesday returned a superseding indictment charging Gary Orztemel, 66, an oil and gas trader from Riverside, with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), conspiracy to commit money laundering, and two counts of money laundering.

Prosecutors said the scheme included paying bribes to Brazilian officials to win contracts with Brazil's state-owned and state-controlled energy company, Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. – Petrobras.

If convicted, Orztemel faces a maximum of five years in prison for the conspiracy to violate the FCPA charge, a maximum of 20 years for money laundering conspiracy and the first money laundering charge, and a maximum of 10 years in prison for the second money laundering charge.

According to court documents, Gary Oztemel was the owner and president of Connecticut-based Oil Trade & Transport S.A. (OTT) and the owner of Petro Trade Services Inc.

"From 2010 through 2018, Gary Oztemel, his brother Glenn Oztemel, Brazil-based intermediary Eduardo Innecco, and others allegedly paid bribes to Petrobras officials for their assistance in helping two Connecticut-based trading companies and OTT obtain and retain business with Petrobras," prosecutors said. "As part of the scheme, a Petrobras official provided Gary Oztemel, Glenn Oztemel, Innecco, and others with confidential information regarding Petrobras’ fuel oil business. Gary Oztemel also used his company Petro Trade to conceal the proceeds of the scheme."

Original charges against Glenn Oztemel and Innecco were unsealed on Feb. 15.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case.

Trial attorneys Allison L. McGuire and Clayton P. Solomon and Assistant Chiefs Derek J. Ettinger and Jonathan P. Robell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael McGarry for the District of Connecticut are prosecuting the case.

The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found here.