International Soccer Corruption Charges Dropped by US Justice Department

Federal prosecutors in New York have moved to drop charges against Hernan Lopez, a former Fox employee, involved in a scheme to bribe FIFA officials to secure broadcasting rights to the World Cup and other soccer matches.

This decision, announced on Tuesday, aims to conclude a lengthy legal battle over the convictions of Lopez and Full Play Group, an Argentine sports media rights company also implicated in the corruption scandal.

In a letter to U.S. District Judge Pamela Chen, U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella stated that the charges should be dismissed 'in the interests of justice.' The Solicitor General's Office echoed this sentiment in a Supreme Court filing, suggesting the case should be returned to a New York federal judge for dismissal.

Lopez was convicted in 2023 on charges of money laundering and wire fraud conspiracies, while Full Play faced additional charges. Earlier this year, a federal appeals court had ordered the reinstatement of their convictions after Judge Chen granted a motion for acquittal.

CBS News reached out to Lopez's representatives, but they did not respond, and lawyers for Full Play declined to comment.