SEC Charges Brazilian Meat Producers With FCPA Violations

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Brazilian nationals Joesley Batista and Wesley Batista and their companies J&F Investimentos S.A. and JBS S.A., a global meat and protein producer, have agreed to pay nearly $27 million to resolve charges arising out of an extensive bribery scheme that took place over multiple years. The SEC’s order finds that the Batistas engaged in a bribery scheme in part to facilitate JBS’s 2009 acquisition of U.S. issuer Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation. According to the order, following that acquisition and while serving as board members of Pilgrim’s, the Batistas made payments of approximately $150 million in bribes at the direction of a former Brazil Finance Minister using in part funds from intercompany transfers, dividend payments, and other means obtained from JBS operating accounts containing funds from Pilgrim’s.