Former Sports Council accounts officer pleads guilty to stealing, laundering over $1 Million in Government funds; faces up to 5 years in jail

Posted: Friday, September 27, 2024. 2:05 pm CST.

By Breaking Belize News Staff: Ivan Ayuso, a former Senior Accounts Officer for the National Sports Council, is spending his first night in prison after pleading guilty to charges of theft and money laundering involving over $1 million stolen from the Government of Belize. Ayuso, who had been out on bail since 2021, entered a plea agreement with the Crown today, represented by Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryl-Lynn Vidal.

Ayuso admitted to stealing $1,040,997.67 between 2013 and 2016 while working at the National Sports Council and laundering funds through various financial institutions. He faces up to five years in prison, with sentencing set for October 19, 2024, after mitigation pleas from character witnesses. Justice Nigel Pilgrim accepted Ayuso’s guilty plea, citing the seriousness of the offense, which deprived the Belizean public of funds meant for sports programs.

The court is considering Ayuso’s cooperation, remorse, and guilty plea as mitigating factors, but the severity of the crime has led to his remand until sentencing. Ayuso apologized to the court, expressing regret for his actions and the harm caused to Belize.

 

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The post Former Sports Council accounts officer pleads guilty to stealing, laundering over $1 Million in Government funds; faces up to 5 years in jail appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.

Posted: Friday, September 27, 2024. 2:05 pm CST. By Breaking Belize News Staff: Ivan Ayuso, a former Senior Accounts Officer for the National Sports Council, is
The post Former Sports Council accounts officer pleads guilty to stealing, laundering over $1 Million in Government funds; faces up to 5 years in jail appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.