Federal Charges Filed Against Decatur Man and Venezuelan Citizen

A man from Decatur and a Venezuelan national appeared in federal court in Texas on Monday, as reported by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Thomas Michael Fortinberry, 51, of Decatur, and Juan Carlos Cairo Padron, 56, from Venezuela, allegedly conspired for several years to provide services and sell chemical catalysts and industrial equipment to Venezuela’s state-run steel factories and petrochemical companies. They were taken into custody on Friday.

The two are accused of executing a scheme that involved deceptive documentation regarding foreign bank transactions linked to their operations. This included actions aimed at obscuring the destination of the goods and services, as well as employing U.S. and international front companies to act as intermediaries for foreign bank accounts.

From at least 2022 to now, it is claimed that Cairo and Fortinberry operated through companies they owned or controlled, such as DRI reformers and reformer technology, with plans to sell millions of dollars worth of materials to the Venezuelan steel company Complejo Siderurgico de Guayana SA. Fortinberry is noted to be the director of Reformer Technologies, according to his LinkedIn profile.

The Justice Department stated that it was alleged the two shipped goods directly from China to Venezuela, utilizing Chinese suppliers, and also moved products from the U.S. to Venezuela on at least one occasion.

Cairo and Fortinberry are believed to have transferred millions to bank accounts in the U.S., Spain, and China through transactions involving companies located in China, Germany, and Spain, all part of their efforts to evade sanctions and conceal the true nature of the parties involved.

If found guilty, they could face significant penalties, including up to 10 years in prison for sanctions and money laundering violations, as well as another 10 years for smuggling offenses. A U.S. District Judge will determine the final sentence based on sentencing guidelines and other relevant factors.

The case is currently under investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations and Defense Criminal Investigative Services.

Attorneys from the Anti-Intellectual and Export Management Division of the National Security Agency, including Adam P. Barry, Yfei Zheng, S. Mark McIntyre, and John Marck, are involved in the prosecution, with support from Trial Attorney Christopher Mageni.