Acccording to Reuters, a federal judge in Brooklyn released papers stating that Miguel Trujillo had been charged with a #FIFAGate-related felony on March 4, 2016. Here we go.
Although Trujillo’s involvement largely remains a mystery at the moment (we don’t know what his exact charge is), the papers noted that he waived formal indictment by a grand jury. It’s a strong indication that he plans to plead guilty, most likely in an effort to help his cause by cooperating with the FBI.
The little we do know about Trujillo paints an intriguing picture; the Colombian businessman has been employed by Media World since 1999, where he works as a representative charged with handling Honduran national team games and events. “I’m not a coach or player agent,” he told La Prensa in December of 2014. “I’m a national team promoter. I have been the agent for Honduran games for 15 years now, like other countries in the region – Guatemala, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Haiti.”
In March of last year, another Honduran newspaper – El Heraldo – reported that Trujillo had paid bribes to former CONCACAF president Alfredo Hawit (unveiled as one of 16 new defendants this past December) for TV broadcast rights to Honduran national team games. According to the post, Hawit and Trujillo also inflated hotel prices in Fort Lauderdale and Miami, frequent concentration locations for the team. From there, they took other bribes. All of the money is said to have been deposited in a U.S. bank (Loretta Lynch is on it, no doubt).
The interconnectedness of the FIFA scandal is mind-boggling to say the very least. Just when you think we’ve reached peak corruption, another prominent player comes into view after hiding in plain sight. Trujillo will inevitably provide yet another link in this massive spiderweb of misconduct and general madness.