Webb ‘regrets’ illegal conduct in guilty plea
While under house arrest, Jeffrey Webb celebrates his wife’s 40th birthday party inside their luxury home in Atlanta, Georgia
(CNS): When Jeffrey Webb pleaded guilty in a New York court last year, the disgraced former local football hero admitted using his position as the former president of CIFA and CONCACAF and VP of FIFA for his own personal benefit and said he regretted his criminal conduct. The courtroom admissions were released to the US media Monday following legal action by Bloomberg. In the plea statement, he said he misused his position in FIFA for personal benefits, as he came clean about the corruption, which he implied was common in the organisation.
Webb, who is expected to be sentenced in June, told the court that he received bribes for the sale of commercial rights for the FIFA World Cup 2018, still currently scheduled to be held in Russia, and for the World Cup qualifying matches for the 2022 tournament. He also confessed to receiving cash kickbacks in 2012, 2013 and 2014 for other tournaments, including the Copa America Centenario tournament.
“I abused my position to obtain bribes and kickbacks for my personal benefit. I believed that such offers were common in this business. I deeply regret my participation in this illegal conduct,” Webb stated last November, according to the court transcripts. Webb said that in 2012 he was told that sports marketing companies would offer “side payments”, or bribes, in exchange for commercial rights to soccer matches.
He also pleaded guilty to charges relating to conspiring to defraud his employers and conspiracy to commit money laundering offenses by transmitting money from the United States to front accounts in Panama and here in the Cayman Islands, among other places.
Webb is currently under house arrest on an electronic tag in his mansion in Atlanta, Georgia, which is understood to have been partially funded by the ill-gotten gains made using his position at FIFA and through a criminal enterprise in Cayman.
The court documents, which have been redacted, also relate to the confessions of Argentinian-Italian marketing executive, Alejandro Burzaco, and Brazilian intermediary, Jose Margulies, both of whom also pleaded guilty last year to various charges in the massive FIFA corruption scandal.
Category: Courts, Crime, USA, World News
“I abused my position to obtain bribes and kickbacks for my personal benefit. I believed that such offers were common in this business. I deeply regret my participation in this illegal conduct,” The question is what the CI Government, CIFA, sponsors and other football stakeholder doing to make sure that any funding destined to support football did not end up in Mr. Webb’s personal accounts and they did what is been done to recover such funds?
They were all in on it as I hope a proper investigation will prove.
He only regrets it because he got caught. They all had their hands in the honey pot, and the wasps arrived and stung them. So much corruption, why is FIFA still a giverning entity?
I truly believe that nobody gets that rich and lives a lifestyle such as that “honestly.”
Sorry you got caught mister.
Not sorry he got caught.
A lot of his funds passed through Cayman Islands banks, so much for our squeaky clean image government tries to portray. These banks need to be inspected to find out why this was allowed.
I am truly sorry that I finally got caught. I am so thankful for my beautiful mansion, and numerous properties. It may have been from ill gotten means, but at least I have a place to entertain my true friends in real Las Vegas style. I guess all good things must come to an end, but I can guarantee you it was really good while it lasted.
It is too late now to say sorry.
That could be a hit song……
If there is a statute of limitations to the type of charges he allegedly faces in Cayman he can remain abode until such time then surely step back foot on the soil after. I wonder if he will ever gain American citizenship after this and likely with the agreement to return to much he may get to keep his home…if it isn’t in his wife’s name. Georgia may not be a community property state.
Only time will tell as to how damaged Cayman is in relation to World Football. Experience tells me, others in that “world” will have long, long memories and Cayman will be frozen out of any substantial position for a long, long time. How sad, and how sickening this is, especailly from one of our “sons of the soil”.
My name is Jebb,
I got caught in a Webb,
of Lies and Corruption
which led to destruction.
I sorry I is for getting caught in this drama,
I promise to do much betta next time momma.
Day job?
No thanks
To Max Clifford, your answer is yes! When Jeff was in his glory, the islands and all us Caymanians were proud to say our little Jeff have put us ‘Grand Cayman’ at the top in the Football world. We were so proud of Jeff Webb for reaching this height in the world of Football, and it was no other than our Cayman’s son of the soil, that made it happen for us. Now that he has disgraced himself in the world of Football, we also got bruised. Do you think we are not looked up on with a frown? While we did not participate in his devilish actions, we need to remember that he is a son of our soil and he soiled us too.
Speak for yourself I don’t know and he does not know me
Isnt that just the allocution – slow news day I guess. US tears down because they were on the outside of the boys club.
A little too late Jeffery! The damage to yourself and this island is done!
Webb damaged himself. How did he damage Cayman?
Does that mean every person guilty of committing crimes from USA, UK, Canada or any other caribbean island is guilty of damaging its own country?
Max, not sure if you are aware, but we have an “offshore financial industry” which is forever being labeled as corrupt, secret, a great purveyor of money laundering etc.
So when you get someone who is from Cayman, that is also second in command for FIFA committing crimes involving bribes, money laundering etc, there is an automatic association and yes, Cayman gets a bad name for the umpteenth time.
Too difficult for you to understand?
Do the white collar criminals from Canada, Europe including the Romanian scammers who’ve committed high profile crimes whilst in Cayman featured in Offshore Alert give the Cayman Islands or their home countries a bad name?
What’s worse the crimes committed by Webb or the drug dealing related and money-laundering crimes committed by Brice Merren XXXXX
Hopefully, you will now get my earlier point
Max does have a point! True true!
Anyone who from any nation who manages to commit a finance related crime in the Cayman Islands damages Cayman’s reputation as a financial center. I am sure you are aware of the struggles that Cayman is facing constantly to be removed from certain “black” lists etc. So yes, every time we let one slip through the nets, it is not a good day for Cayman.
And I am sorry to say but you can’t be that stupid to say that JW only damaged himself!!! You must be able to comprehend that he (along with some others) have catapulted Cayman’s football back by 30 years due to their greed and cowardly actions. There are many people who have put a lot of sweat and tears into the football programs the honorable way, yet, some greedy bastard in a suit has ruined for everyone involved.
What about the unauthorized removal of Government documents, how does that affect Cayman?
Nobody outside of the Cayman Islands has any idea who Bryce Merren is, however everyone and their dog around the world knows about FIFA. Not sure how you can even compare the 2.
5;00 pm
Please don’t leave out the bribes and corruptions going on at these large construction sites.
The small builders paying off the project managers, Architects and QS. ( under the table deals) these agents are raking in tons of money. This culture was introduced here in the late 90s by the Canadians and Europeans.
This has caused the native builders to be left out of the Building Industry.
Unfortunately the developers and investors are not aware of this, which can up the cost for Construction by 20%
These agents are also posing as the contractors and skimming off a big chunk of money from the top…instead of the owners going straight to Contract with the Builders as it was before.
Most time the builder runs out of money midway of the job.
Please leave Architects out of this, the real ones that is.
Huh? Where are the Canadian & European builders?
How is Brice doing?
Correct, people are individually responsible for their actions, we have to accept that like everywhere else we have criminals in Cayman.
Anyway he only participated in the illegal conduct because everyone was doing it, poor guy. However, Mr. Webb has a chance to come good and return all these ill gotten funds to football and allow a NEW CIFA administration to restructure the local game.
Yes, when it’s of this magnitude and involves non-profit organizations and local banks – yes it does. DUH!
19/4 2:39pm. Max, plz stop protraying dumb! You aren’t. When Jeff or Canover or whomever is in prison or in Court for stealing or taking bribes does affect ALL Caymanians! When our Cayman Islands name is used in that context concerning underhanded dirty deals with our Financial Services as our second pillar it has a rippling effect! As well the sting of Jeff’s actions is also viewed personally as so much was riding on him. Many of us know of the hardships of earlier years and we all know he had the potential for greatness! We had much riding on him for the position he so blatantly and greedily abused. He’s a wicked boy for stealing from his own! It is the same as chopping off one’s nose to spite one’s face!
Quite frankly I pray he never returns. The whole island will be at the airport, tamarind switches and cowcods in hand to give him the licking he truly deserves! So yeah Max he did affect us all when he joined the thieving and bribing crew in FIFA! And quite frankly you should be ashamed to defend such a thief cause if you fr yah he stole from you too you ole yahyah!
Run Jeffrey run!
The “regret” is evident in this picture. It sickens me beyond words. CIFA is in complete shambles and needs to be torn apart and rebuilt from scratch. The grass-root programs and the national teams are suffering. We look down on other Caribbean nations all the time but what they are able to produce with much less funding is mind boggling. Just shows you how a few greedy bastards ruin it for others and generations to come.
I really hope he is one day brought back to face charges here , as well as face the people he fooled and stole from.
I’m sorry bobo!! WTF
Jeff Webb is an amatuer in comparison to some of the public officials including past and present MLA’s senior officials in the government ministries, statutory authorities and government owned companies who have misappropriated funds wasted monies and abused their position especially if they are from a particular level of society, members of Zionist fraternities like the lodge or come grime right families.
Jeff Webb has secured the sweetest deal and will not see any jail time in a federal penitentiary. Neither will he ever set foot back in Cayman to answer the AIS charges
#facts
#LEGEND
“Webb ‘regrets’ illegal conduct in guilty plea” Hahahahaha!! More like Webb regrets getting caught!
caymankind
There is no such thing as Caymankind, idiot, and to use the ‘term’ simply and clearly displays an alarming level of ignorance in anyone who does so. There are dishonest and there are upright Caymanians in this country just exactly like there are in whichever country you were fortunate enough to get the chance to run from. Please leave your idiocy there. I guarantee you it will still be there when you get back.
That is “regret” in the “I regret I was caught” sense.