Former U.S. Representative David Rivera was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on October 2, 2026, in the Southern District of Florida. A jury convicted him in May on federal foreign-agent and money-laundering-related charges tied to work prosecutors said was performed for Venezuela’s government.
What Rivera was convicted of
The federal jury convicted Rivera of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), violating FARA, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and four counts of engaging in transactions in criminally derived property, according to the Justice Department’s sentencing announcement. The jury also convicted co-defendant Esther Nuhfer, the department said in its May 1, 2026 conviction announcement.
Rivera’s lawyers maintained that he believed the work did not require disclosure, the Associated Press reported. That was the defense position; the jury returned guilty verdicts.
What the $50 million contract involved
Prosecutors said Rivera and Nuhfer obtained a $50 million contract with a subsidiary of Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), Venezuela’s state-owned and state-controlled oil company. The Justice Department connected the contract to the alleged work for the Venezuelan government. The contract’s stated value is not the same as a finding that Rivera personally received $50 million.
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What FARA means in this case
The Foreign Agents Registration Act can require people acting in the United States for a foreign principal to disclose certain political or related activity. The Justice Department says covered activity may include arranging meetings with policymakers, lobbying government officials, or promoting a foreign government’s message on social media. The law does not make all foreign lobbying unlawful; whether registration is required depends on the activity and the law’s requirements. Rivera’s conviction included both conspiracy to violate FARA and violating FARA.
A separate reported Washington case
Rivera also faced a separate foreign-lobbying matter in Washington, D.C., according to The Washington Post’s October 2 account. That report described an alleged $5.5 million payment in 2019. It is distinct from the Florida case and sentence; the sentencing-day report does not establish an outcome in the D.C. matter.
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How the case reached sentencing
- May 1, 2026: A federal jury convicted Rivera and Nuhfer in the Southern District of Florida. Rivera was taken into custody after the verdict, contemporaneous reporting said.
- October 2, 2026: U.S. District Judge Melissa Damian sentenced Rivera to 10 years in federal prison.
The Associated Press reported that, at sentencing, Judge Damian said: “Nobody would accept that’s ok and I don’t think this is different.”
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