Former Executive at California Valve Company Pleads Guilty to Bribing Foreign Government Officials

The U.S. Department of Justice reports in its press release (quotation, not an independent finding): “WASHINGTON – A former executive of an Orange County, Calif.-based valve company pleaded guilty today in connection with his role in a conspiracy to pay approximately $1 million in bribes to numerous foreign government officials, Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich of the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Thomas P. O’Brien of the Central District of California and Joseph Persichini Jr., Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office announced. Mario Covino, 44, an Italian citizen and resident of Irvine, Calif., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge James V. Selna in Santa Ana, Calif., to a one-count information charging him with conspiring to make corrupt payments to foreign government officials for the purpose of securing business for the Orange County valve company from state-owned enterprises in several countries, including Brazil, China, India, Korea, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). According to court documents, the valve company designed and manufactured service control valves for use in the nuclear, oil and gas, and power generation industries worldwide. Covino was the director of worldwide factory sales at the valve company from March 2003 through August 2007. In this position, Covino was responsible for overseeing new construction projects and the replacement of existing valves made by other companies and installed at customer plants in more than 30 countries. In connection with his guilty plea, Covino admitted that from March 2003 through August 2007, he caus”