Miami, FL – A businessman from the U.S. was found guilty today by a federal jury in Miami for masterminding an international bribery and money laundering operation that lasted nearly five years, aimed at obtaining profitable government contracts for his company based in Georgia. Carl Alan Zaglin, 70, who serves as the CEO of Atlanco LLC, a producer of uniforms and accessories for law enforcement, was convicted of conspiring to bribe officials in Honduras and launder money to support his company’s transactions with the Honduran government
Evidence presented during the trial revealed that Zaglin and his accomplices disbursed hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to high-ranking officials in the Honduran government to secure business with TASA, the agency responsible for acquiring goods for the Honduran National Police and other security organizations. These illicit payments were instrumental in obtaining contracts exceeding $10 million, which included the provision of uniforms and other critical supplies for law enforcement.
“Instead of playing by the rules, Carl Zaglin unfairly sought to get ahead and enrich himself by paying bribes to Honduran officials,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Bribing government officials to win business undermines the rule of law and distorts competitive markets. Today’s verdict reaffirms the Criminal Division’s commitment to rooting out corruption and providing an equal playing field for American businesses.”
The program started in March 2015 and lasted until November 2019. Throughout this period, Zaglin collaborated with Aldo Nestor Marchena, a third-party intermediary located in Boca Raton, Florida, who helped in the payment of bribes. These bribes were disguised through fake invoices, amounting to $2.5 million in payments to Marchena, who subsequently sent the funds to officials in Honduras, including former TASA Executive Director Francisco Roberto Cosenza Centeno and former TASA Titular Director Juan Ramon Molina.
In exchange for the bribes, the officials assisted Zaglin and his company in obtaining contracts and ensuring payments for uniforms and related products sold to the Honduran National Police. To cover their tracks, Zaglin, Marchena, and the other co-conspirators used coded language, referring to bribes as “commissions” and “fees” and disguising their communications through personal emails and encrypted messaging applications.
Zaglin was found guilty by the jury on three charges: one for conspiring to breach the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), another for actually violating the FCPA, and a third for conspiracy to engage in money laundering. He is now looking at a lengthy prison sentence, facing a maximum of five years for each of the FCPA violations and up to 20 years for the money laundering offense. The final sentencing will be decided by a federal district court judge, who will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines along with other legal factors.
“This case serves as a reminder of the serious consequences of engaging in bribery and money laundering,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami Field Office. “HSI will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to combat corruption on an international scale.”
