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Prosecutors ask for a 39-year-prison sentence for former Pemex director

Mexico City, Mexico — Prosecutors have asked a Mexico City judge for a 39-year-prison sentence for Emilio Lozoya, the former director of Pemex. The Attorney General’s Office (FGR) made the request to Judge José Artemio Zúñiga earlier this week, also requesting a 25-year-sentence for his mother, Gilda Austin, who is also a defendant in the Odebrecht case.

Judicial authorities confirmed that the requests were made on January 3, as part of the proceedings against Lozoya. Prosecutors have justified the 39-year-sentence asking for 15 years for money laundering, 10 years for criminal association and 14 years in prison for bribery.

The 39-year-sentence is the maximum allowed for the crimes of bribery, money laundering and criminal association that he has been charged with in the Odebrecht case. The FGE has also requested a 7.3 million peso fine and the seizure of his luxury home in Ixtapa, Zihuatanejo.

While the sentencing is being considered, there is the possibility of a lesser sentence if Lozoya delivers conclusive evidence to impute people of higher hierarchy than himself from the government of former president, Enrique Peña Nieto.

Lawyers consulted said that the defense could maintain the position of collaboration and provision of an agreement with the FGR in order for Lozoya to become a collaborating witness.

There is also the possibility that Lozoya pleads guilty in exchange for a lesser sentence, as was the case with former Veracruz governor Javier Duarte de Ochoa, who obtained a nine-year prison sentence.

The FGR will also present its second accusation against Lozoya for the Agronitrogenados case in which he is attributed with having collected a bribe of $3.4 million USD. Lozoya is currently being held in the Reclusorio Norte prison in Mexico City.