By Christian Red , Michael O’keeffe New York Daily News

An Argentinian businessman accused of offering millions of dollars in bribes to FIFA officials in exchange for media rights to soccer tournaments pleaded not guilty Friday in Brooklyn federal court.

Alejandro Burzaco, the former general manager and chairman of Torneos y Competencias SA, was released on a $20 million bond secured by cash and three U.S. properties put up by friends and relatives.

The 51-year-old Burzaco, the third FIFA defendant arraigned in the sprawling multinational criminal case, faces racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy charges.

Burzaco, dressed in a dark suit, told U.S. Magistrate Judge Vera M. Scanlon that he understood the charges but otherwise said very little during his arraignment. Scanlon ordered him to wear an electronic monitoring device and said he is forbidden from leaving his home without written approval from authorities except for medical emergencies.

Scanlon told Burzaco that he had to live within 50 miles of the Brooklyn courthouse while his case was pending, and barred him from leaving the Eastern and Southern districts of New York — the five boroughs plus Long Island and several counties north of the city — without permission. Scanlon also ordered the South American businessman to hire a private security firm which will monitor his movements 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Prosecutor Sam Nitze and Burzaco’s attorney Sean Casey agreed that Burzaco did not pose a flight risk, but Scanlon nevertheless ordered him to surrender his passport. He is also forbidden to speak to his co-defendants and any officials at FIFA, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL and sports marketing companies.

Burzaco’s next scheduled court appearance is Sept. 18 before U.S. District Judge Raymond Dearie.

Scanlon told Burzaco that he had to live within 50 miles of the Brooklyn courthouse while his case was pending, and barred him from leaving the Eastern and Southern districts of New York.

Burzaco was reportedly in Zurich on May 27 when Swiss authorities arrested seven soccer defendants who were in that city for the FIFA Congress held at FIFA’s Zurich headquarters. Representatives of the organization’s 209 member nations had gathered to elect a new president.

Burzaco was not arrested that day, but Interpol issued a “red notice” calling for his arrest. He surrendered to police in Italy on June 9, 13 days after the indictment was unsealed. Burzaco waived extradition from Italy.

According to the indictment, Burzaco conspired with other soccer executives in a series of bribery and kickback schemes. Burzaco was also part of a group that formed a company called Datisa, which had a $317.5 million contract with CONMEBOL. During a May 1, 2014 meeting in south Florida, after Datisa was formed, Burzaco told co-conspirators, “All can get hurt because of this subject. All of us go to prison,” according to the indictment.

Burzaco is the third FIFA defendant to be arraigned in the case. Former FIFA and CONCACAF official Jeffrey Webb of the Cayman Islands pleaded not guilty to 17 felony counts on July 18. Fourteen FIFA officials and sports marketing executives were listed as defendants in the indictment unsealed in May.

Lawyers for sports marketing executive Aaron Davidson, who pleaded not guilty in May, said their client is cooperating with prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York, where the FIFA prosecution is based.

Meanwhile, according to a Cayman Compass.com report, an international accounting firm has been retained to assist the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority with a forensic review of transactions linked to Webb or to any of the other 13 men indicted in the federal FIFA case.

IMAGES:
MAY 14, 2015 FILE PHOTO VICTOR R. CAIVANO/AP
JANE ROSEBERG/REUTERS Alejandro Burzaco (center) faces charges of racketeering, money laundering and wire fraud.

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