SEC Charges Stericycle with Bribery Schemes in Latin America

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced charges against Stericycle, Inc. for violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) arising out of bribery schemes that took place in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico. The company has agreed to pay more than $84 million to settle parallel civil and criminal charges related to these schemes, including nearly $28.2 million to settle the SEC’s charges. The SEC’s order finds that Stericycle, a leading provider of medical waste and other services in 16 countries worldwide, paid millions of dollars in bribes to obtain and maintain business from government customers in Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina from at least 2012 to 2016. According to the SEC’s order, Stericycle staff kept and emailed spreadsheets that identified government customers who received bribes.