Factbox - U.S. charges against FIFA officials, possible sentences

By Julia Edwards and Lindsay Dunsmuir (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department has charged five executives and nine officials of football's global governing body, FIFA, with racketeering. U.S. code defines racketeering as any criminal activity performed to benefit an organisation, including extortion, money laundering and bribery. In a 166-page indictment, the Justice Department accused the defendants of engaging in such activities. THE CHARGES The indictment accused the defendants and co-conspirators of engaging in fraud, bribery and money laundering since 1991 to solicit and receive $150 million (£98 million) in bribes and kickbacks. * The indictment claimed that South Africa paid $10 millionto Jack Warner, former FIFA vice president and executivecommittee member of CONCACAF (Confederation of North, CentralAmerica, Caribbean Association Football), to obtain his and twoother FIFA executive committee member votes for its successfulbid to host the World Cup in 2010. * In 2011 an unnamed co-conspirator who wanted to declarehimself a candidate for FIFA president plotted with Warner toget Caribbean Football Union member support. After a meetingwith the members on his candidacy at a hotel in Trinidad andTobago, Warner told officials from the Caribbean Football Unionmember associations to pick up a "gift" afterwards in anotherconference room, where each member found an envelope stuffedwith $40,000, the indictment claimed. Warner facilitated thepayment on behalf of the unnamed co-conspirator, according tothe indictment. * The indictment claimed that a sports marketing companycalled Datisa, jointly owned by Traffic Sports, Torneos and FullPlay, paid $100 million in bribes to FIFA officials in exchangefor the 2013 Copa America contract. An executive from eachcompany has been indicted and the founder of Traffic Group JoseHawilla has pleaded guilty to racketeering and other charges.Traffic Sports USA Inc and Traffic Sports International havealso pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy, the JusticeDepartment said.POSSIBLE SENTENCES * U.S. code states that racketeering violations should carryno more than 20 years of imprisonment unless the activitycarries a life sentence, such as murder. * The Justice Department said the defendants face maximumterms of 20 years. * One defendant, Eugenio Figueredo, could face an additional10 years if found guilty of providing false evidence to U.S.immigration authorities when he stated he was working in theUnited States as a "decorative rock" salesman. * In the past, members of criminal organizations such as themafia and street gangs have been convicted on racketeeringcharges. * In 2006, several tobacco companies including Philip Morrisand Lorillard Inc were found guilty under the racketeeringstatute of covering up health risks of smoking. * In other types of cases, racketeering charges were broughtagainst oil producer Chesapeake Energy over land leasingpractices and 11 former Atlanta public school educators who werefound guilty in a test cheating scandal.CASE ONGOING * U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch declined to comment onwhether FIFA president Sepp Blatter was a target in theinvestigation. * Several U.S. banks including Bank of America and Citibankwere named in the indictment as having been used to clearcurrency FIFA officials transferred from overseas banks. * Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New YorkKelly Currie said at a press conference, "Part of ourinvestigation will look at the conduct of the financialinstitutions to see whether they were cognizant of the fact theywere helping launder these bribe payments. It's too early to sayif there is any problematic behaviour, but it will be part ofour investigation." (Reporting By Julia Edwards; Editing by Toni Reinhold)