FBI seizes phones of Argentine FA President Tapia and others at JFK Airport

Hupu Football News | July 23rd — According to a report by Argentine media Infobae, the investigation into Argentine Football Association (AFA) President Claudio Tapia by the FBI is ongoing.

Incident at New York's JFK Airport

As the Argentine national team prepared to return to Buenos Aires after the World Cup, FBI agents conducted an enforcement operation at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. Those under investigation also include Pablo Toviggino, Diego Lucero, and Javier Faroni.

AFA President Claudio "Chiqui" Tapia faced an awkward situation just minutes before departing for home with some members of the Argentine national team who had participated in the World Cup. According to information obtained by Infobae, FBI agents intercepted and detained Tapia at JFK Airport, demanding he hand over his phone and other electronic devices.

Local sources who confirmed the incident revealed that among the entourage traveling on the Argentine Airlines charter flight AR1971 to Buenos Aires last Monday, the computers and phones of several other members were also confiscated by law enforcement.

The charter flight was originally scheduled to depart at 6:00 AM but was ultimately delayed until around 8:15 AM, which also delayed the arrival of the World Cup runner-up Argentine team at Ezeiza International Airport. At that time, thousands of fans had already gathered at the airport, ready to cheer and celebrate the team's performance in the World Cup.

Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul did not travel on this charter flight with Tapia. Messi returned to Argentina the following day on a private plane and then went home to Rosario to reunite with his family.

AFA Denial

The AFA subsequently denied the news through a statement signed by lawyer Gregorio Dalbón. Dalbón stated: "This is completely false; none of the details described in the report ever occurred."

Setting aside the details of the enforcement operation at New York airport, this action confirms that Tapia and other AFA executives are now officially under investigation by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

Subpoenas Issued to AFA Executives

According to judicial documents obtained by Infobae, Tapia must appear to testify before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The court also requires him to submit all information related to the company Tourprodenter, including records of communication with Pablo Toviggino, Diego Lucero, and Javier Faroni.

Currently, all of the above individuals are under investigation in a case concerning the financial structure of the AFA's management of overseas commercial contracts.

Tourprodenter, a company actually controlled by Faroni and registered in Florida, is the exclusive commercial agent responsible for signing sponsorship agreements, friendly matches, and television rights contracts for the AFA.

Scandal Escalation and Key Testimony

This operation to confiscate phones and electronic devices stems from an investigation that began during the World Cup. While Tapia and AFA senior officials were in the United States with the team, FBI agents and prosecutors from the Department of Justice were already sorting through the financial operations of the institution's management of international commercial contracts. The amount of funds currently under review exceeds $300 million.

A key step in the previous investigation was the subpoena of businessman Guillermo Tofoni, who has a legal dispute with the AFA and has reported the operational model of this commercial structure. This face-to-face interrogation lasted over two hours in Miami, focusing on obtaining information and written documentation regarding the flow of funds between banks and companies within the United States.

The case is jointly led by three federal prosecutors specializing in economic and financial crimes:

• Patrick Gushue, based in Washington D.C. (Department of Justice's Bank Integrity Unit)
• Christopher Ding
• Michael Berger (U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida, experienced in complex money laundering cases)

These initial measures do not imply that formal charges have been filed or criminal proceedings have been initiated. Investigators were still in the preliminary stages, aiming to clarify the complete chain of fund flows, identify the individuals and companies involved, trace the ultimate beneficiaries of the transfers, and confirm whether the relevant transactions have violated U.S. law.

Tourprodenter LLC at the Center of the Investigation

At the heart of this investigation is Tourprodenter LLC, jointly owned by Faroni and his wife, Erica Gillette. With Tapia's personal approval, the company was designated as the exclusive agent for collecting payments from the AFA's overseas contracts, responsible for coordinating revenue from sponsors, commercial rights, friendly matches, and other national team-related business, and deducting intermediary service fees and logistics operation commissions.

Bank documents obtained by U.S. courts during the proceedings show that the relevant funds did not flow through a single account. Their operations spanned multiple institutions, including:

• Bank of America
• Citibank
• JPMorgan Chase
• Synovus Bank
• PNC Bank

At PNC Bank alone, $13,554,200.64 flowed through in less than a year, primarily from partner companies related to the AFA's commercial contracts in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and other regions.

Transaction records show that some funds remained in accounts for only 24 to 72 hours before being quickly transferred out. In addition to normal expenses for logistics, charter flights, transportation, fuel, consulting, and event organization, the records also show several large transfers to companies with virtually no actual business activities. The companies involved include:

• Soagu
• Marmasch
• Delker
• Velpasalt
• Mafer

The amount transferred from the PNC Bank account to these companies alone reached $3,171,800.

Several of these companies share registered addresses, statutory agents, or virtual offices in Florida. Some companies were quickly dissolved or ceased operations after details of the relevant transactions were exposed. The dispersal of funds across multiple banks, the use of numerous shell companies to layer transactions, and the dense cross-transfers have greatly hindered efforts to trace the original source and ultimate destination of the funds.

Key Material and Escalation

A significant portion of this key material obtained by the U.S. side originated from the "discovery" process approved by U.S. courts in the commercial lawsuit filed by Tofoni against the AFA. These materials are no longer merely evidence in a civil commercial dispute; they have been taken directly by the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI for review and analysis to determine whether to initiate a criminal investigation.

In this context, the seizure of phones, computers, and other electronic devices belonging to Tapia and his entourage marks a comprehensive escalation in the intensity of the investigation into this case. This move facilitates the preservation of relevant communication records, electronic documents, and digital logs by the U.S. side, allowing them to be cross-referenced and verified against the bank records, company registration documents, and witness testimonies already in the possession of federal investigators.

Source: X

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