True Crime
Former Rep. David Rivera gets 10 years in the Venezuela foreign-agent lobbying case.
On Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, U.S. District Judge Melissa Damian in Miami sentenced former Florida congressman David Rivera, 61, to 10 years in federal prison after a May jury conviction on failing to register as a foreign agent and conspiracy to commit money laundering tied to a secret $50 million Venezuela lobbying contract. He has been jailed since the verdict. His attorneys said they plan to appeal.
By Crime Talk Network Staff Writer ·
A federal prison sentence after a jury conviction closes the judgment on the counts the jury found. It is not a new accusation, and it is not a clean slate for appeal. Associated Press reporting from the Miami sentencing says Judge Melissa Damian imposed 10 years on David Rivera for the unregistered foreign-agent and money-laundering conspiracy case built around a $50 million consulting contract prosecutors tied to Nicolás Maduro's government. Defense counsel argued the work was commercial oil consulting that did not require FARA paperwork. The court record is what decides the sentence. An announced appeal and a pardon request are process after judgment.
The Associated Press reported Oct. 2, 2026, that Rivera was sentenced Friday in Miami federal court to 10 years. Jurors convicted him in May on all counts, including failing to register as a foreign agent and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He has remained jailed since that verdict. WSLS and other AP affiliates carried the same wire account of the hearing.
Prosecutors described a secret lobbying campaign during the first Trump administration aimed at easing U.S. pressure on Venezuela, including outreach involving then-Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez and coded chats with intermediaries. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Cruz told the court the public was the victim of a fraud of trust. Those are the government's sentencing arguments as reported. They are not a separate verdict.
Defense attorney Ed Shohat argued Rivera should not die in prison over a missing FARA form and said the $50 million PDV USA contract was commercial work focused on ExxonMobil. Judge Damian rejected a bid to lower the guidelines range and, per AP, said there was no dispute the money came from the Maduro regime. Attorneys said they plan to appeal. Rivera also faces related federal charges in Washington, D.C., according to the same reporting. On those related charges, he is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Reporting noted by Chicago Police Department, ABC7 Chicago, and CBS Chicago.