Conviction against ex-Fox executive for FIFA bribery scam reinstated by the court
In a significant ruling, the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals has reinstated the convictions of Hernan Lopez, the former CEO of Fox International Channels, and Full Play Group, a South American sports media and marketing company, in a case involving bribery schemes for FIFA broadcasting rights.
The convictions, which were originally granted by a jury in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York in March 2023, were overturned by U.S. District Judge Pamela K. Chen in September 2023. However, this decision was vacated by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled that Judge Chen had erred in acquitting the defendants.
Lopez and Full Play were convicted on charges including wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy related to broadcast rights for tournaments such as the Copa Libertadores, World Cup qualifiers, friendlies, and the Copa América. The appellate court held that the conduct of Lopez and Full Play did fall within the scope of federal wire fraud statute § 1346, which covers bribery schemes.
As a result, the convictions for wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy have been reinstated, and the case has been remanded to the district court for further proceedings consistent with the appellate opinion. The appellate panel explicitly rejected the argument that foreign commercial bribery was outside the statute's scope.
Hernan Lopez once again faces the possibility of up to 40 years in prison and hefty fines, and Full Play Group may face significant penalties as well. Lopez has announced his intention to bring the case before the U.S. Supreme Court for further review.
This case is part of the broader 2015 FIFA corruption probe that exposed widespread bribery involving high-ranking football officials and media rights. The DOJ investigation, known as 'FIFAgate', has led to numerous convictions and guilty pleas, and has exposed hundreds of millions of dollars in illicit payments made in exchange for marketing and media rights.
During the seven-week trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Lopez and others paid millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks to officials from CONMEBOL and other regional governing bodies. In return, Fox and its partners obtained not only broadcasting rights but also confidential information that gave them a competitive edge in future bidding rounds for events such as the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups.
Lopez was represented by Alexandra Shapiro of Shapiro Arato Bach, and a team led by John Gleeson of Debevoise & Plimpton. Full Play Group was represented by teams of lawyers from Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel (now HSF Kramer), Norton Rose Fulbright, BakerHostetler, Baker McKenzie, and Hogan Lovells.
The government's appeal in the Lopez case focused on Judge Chen's reliance on the Percoco case, a corruption case involving Joseph Percoco, a former aide to then-New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously vacated Judge Chen's ruling and reinstated the jury's verdicts on July 2, 2025.
In light of the reinstated convictions, Hernan Lopez and Full Play Group may find discussions on politics and general-news platforms focusing on their possible sentencing and appeals. The sports world, meanwhile, could discuss the implications of these bribery schemes for future tournaments and FIFA's regulations on crime-and-justice matters.
