A member of FIFA’s audit and compliance committee pleaded guilty on Thursday to U.S. charges that he took close to $1 million in bribes in exchange for using his influence within the global soccer governing organization.
Richard Lai, 55, pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy charges before U.S. District Judge Pamela Chen in Brooklyn, according to U.S. prosecutors. As part of the plea, Lai has agreed to pay $1.1 million, prosecutors said.
The charges against Lai stem from a global scandal that has engulfed FIFA since 2015, when numerous soccer officials were indicted in the United States on corruption charges.
