Oilman catches sentencing break for exposing Venezuela graft

By JOSHUA GOODMAN
Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) — A Florida-based oilman who pleaded guilty for taking part in a $1 billion conspiracy to pay bribes to Venezuelan officials received a major break in sentencing after cooperating with U.S. prosecutors investigating corruption at the country’s state-run oil monopoly. Abraham Shiera was one of the first witnesses to come forward and cooperate with a sprawling, multi-district federal probe into PDVSA following his arrest in 2016. Judge Gray Miller on Thursday sentenced Shiera, who was born in Venezuela, to 12 months and a single day in prison. Shiera and his business partner were accused of paying bribes in exchange for lucrative contracts to build electricity generators for PDVSA at a time Venezuela was suffering widespread power outages.