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Claim review. Bribery

Supported

The cited record supports the material proposition.

The US Justice Department said on 14 October 2020 that J&F Investimentos pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the FCPA and agreed to pay a criminal penalty of more than US$256 million over bribes to Brazilian officials.

About
JBS S.A. and J&F Investimentos S.A.
Claim made by
US Department of Justice, regulator statement
Published
14 October 2020
Original
J&F Investimentos S.A. Pleads Guilty and Agrees to Pay Over $256 Million to Resolve Criminal Foreign Bribery Case
Evidence score
90 How it was scored
Last reviewed
25 October 2026

Why this label

The DOJ release states the plea, the single count and the penalty of US$256,497,026S1. It says J&F conspired to pay bribes to officials in Brazil, including a high-ranking BNDES executive, used New York bank accounts and bought a Manhattan apartment as a bribeS1. The department agreed to credit up to half of the penalty against payments to Brazilian authoritiesS1. The SEC announced a parallel consent order the same day finding that JBS, J&F and the two Batista brothers caused Pilgrim's Pride's books and records violationsS2. A guilty plea is a conviction on the admitted count. No sentencing date or court judgment appears in the DOJ release or in the Stanford FCPA Clearinghouse entryS9.

Current procedural position

Guilty plea to one count filed in the Eastern District of New York on 14 October 2020S1. Parallel SEC consent order entered on 14 October 2020S2.

Record supporting the assessment

one count of conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA
S1 Tier A US Department of Justice, J&F Investimentos S.A. Pleads Guilty and Agrees to Pay Over $256 Million to Resolve Criminal Foreign Bribery Case, 14 October 2020
a criminal monetary penalty of $256,497,026
S1 Tier A US Department of Justice, J&F Investimentos S.A. Pleads Guilty and Agrees to Pay Over $256 Million to Resolve Criminal Foreign Bribery Case, 14 October 2020
the company conspired with others to violate the FCPA by paying bribes to government officials in Brazil
S1 Tier A US Department of Justice, J&F Investimentos S.A. Pleads Guilty and Agrees to Pay Over $256 Million to Resolve Criminal Foreign Bribery Case, 14 October 2020
consented to the SEC’s order finding that they caused Pilgrim’s Pride’s violations
S2 Tier A US Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC Charges Brazilian Meat Producers With FCPA Violations, 14 October 2020

Conflicting or limiting record

No record located that conflicts with this assessment.

Evidence score: 90 of 100

The score grades how well the record establishes this assessment. It is not a score of JBS S.A. and J&F Investimentos S.A.. Score = source authority + directness + corroboration + procedural accuracy + currency + reproducibility.

ComponentPointsMaxReason
Source authorityIs the source competent to establish the proposition?2830A DOJ release on a guilty plea and an SEC release are competent records.
DirectnessDoes the source state the proposition or only discuss adjacent facts?1920The release states the plea, count and amount directly.
CorroborationDo independent records support the same material point?1215The SEC release confirms the parallel bribery-related resolution.
Procedural accuracyDoes the record settle the procedural state the claim describes?1315A guilty plea is a settled outcome, but the court judgment was not read.
CurrencyHas the record been checked against later developments?810No later reversal was found, and no sentencing record could be located.
ReproducibilityCan a reader locate the passage and repeat the assessment?1010Both releases are public on government sites.
Total90100

Timeline

  1. Money Times reports the signed leniency agreementS3
  2. J&F pleads guilty in the United StatesS1
  3. SEC consent order with JBS, J&F and the Batista brothersS2

Related cases

  • United States v. J&F Investimentos S.A.US District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Criminal. Not published.Stage: Guilty plea to a one-count information in the Eastern District of New York. No sentencing record was foundS9.
    • Plea and agreed penalty of US$256,497,026S1
  • In the Matter of J&F Investimentos S.A., JBS S.A., Joesley Batista and Wesley BatistaUS Securities and Exchange Commission. Regulatory. Administrative Proceeding File No. 3-20124, as listed by the Stanford FCPA Clearinghouse.Stage: Cease-and-desist order entered on consent.
    • Order finding the respondents caused Pilgrim's Pride's books and records and internal controls violations, with about US$27 million disgorgement by JBS and civil penalties of US$550,000 each for Joesley Batista and Wesley BatistaS2

Revision history

  • Assessment first published with label Supported.

Have a record that changes this assessment? See corrections and responses.

Sources

  1. S1Tier A J&F Investimentos S.A. Pleads Guilty and Agrees to Pay Over $256 Million to Resolve Criminal Foreign Bribery CaseUS Department of Justice. Regulator press release. 14 October 2020.Supports the plea, the count, the penalty and the credit for Brazilian payments. It does not name individual officials.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
  2. S2Tier A SEC Charges Brazilian Meat Producers With FCPA ViolationsUS Securities and Exchange Commission. Regulator press release. 14 October 2020.Supports the consent order against JBS, J&F and the Batista brothers. The release contains no admit or deny language.
  3. S3Tier C MPF e J&F assinam acordo de leniência para pagamento de R$ 10 bilhõesMoney Times. Press report. 6 June 2017.Report by Gustavo Kahil citing Agência Brasil on the leniency terms. It does not report what J&F admitted.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
  4. S9Tier D In the Matter of J&F Investimentos, S.A., et al.Stanford Law School FCPA Clearinghouse. Academic paper. Database updated through 30 July 2025.Academic database entry listing SEC docket number 3-20124 and the Eastern District of New York information. It gives no sentencing date.Link working, checked 25 October 2026

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