Carlos Pólit Under Investigation: What Sentences Has He Received in Ecuador and the United States, What Assets Has He Lost, and What Is the Former Comptroller in the Odebrecht Case Asking for from Prison?

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Updated: 7 de October, 2026Last verified: 7 de October, 2026

Carlos Pólit Faggioni served as Comptroller General of Ecuador from 2007 to 2017. He is the Ecuadorian official who received the harshest sentence in the Odebrecht case. A federal court in Miami sentenced him in October 2024 to ten years in prison. The crime: laundering bribes he received from the Brazilian construction company in exchange for shelving audits. Earlier, in 2018, the Ecuadorian courts had sentenced him in absentia to six years for extortion. He was also ordered to pay $40.4 million, which he has yet to pay. His son John was also convicted of helping him launder the money. As of October 7, 2026, Pólit is 75 years old and is incarcerated in Florida. He is requesting to serve the remainder of his sentence at home. This case file outlines the evidence presented in each country.

The short answer: Carlos Pólit has been convicted in two countries. In the United States, a jury found him guilty in April 2024 on six counts of money laundering. Judge Kathleen Williams sentenced him to ten years in prison on October 1, 2024. In Ecuador, the National Court of Justice sentenced him in 2018 to six years in prison for extortion, in absentia. He must also repay $40.4 million, which he has not yet paid. The Miami court also ordered the forfeiture of $16.5 million in assets. His son John is serving a 40-month sentence for the same scheme. Pólit, 75, requested compassionate release on health grounds on September 10, 2026. As of October 7, no decision has been announced.

Who Is Carlos Pólit and Why Does His Case Matter?

Pólit served as Comptroller General of the State for nearly the entire decade of Rafael Correa’s administration. His office audited public works projects and had the authority to impose penalties—that is, fines and liabilities—on contractors. According to U.S. authorities, he used precisely that power as leverage. He charged Odebrecht to waive or not impose fines. In addition, he initiated audits against a state-owned insurance company to force it to return contracts to a businessman who was paying him.

His case matters for three reasons. It is the harshest sentence handed down in the Odebrecht case in Ecuador. It is one of the few cases in the region tried by a U.S. jury, with 14 witnesses and bank records as evidence. And it is an example of what happens when the country of origin fails to secure extradition. Ecuador has been requesting extradition for eight years without success, and his own sentence has never been served. To compare with other cases in the region, Auditoría Abierta is publishing a verified list of former presidents and high-ranking officials convicted of corruption.

The seven aspects of the case, with their level of evidence

No. Point What is alleged Authority and date Pólit’s Response Status and level of support
1 Conviction in Ecuador Received bribes from Odebrecht to remove audit qualifications National Court of Justice, 2018 Fled to the United States in 2017; did not appear in court Proven and final. 6 years, never served
2 Conviction in the United States Laundered bribes from Odebrecht and an insurance executive through the U.S. financial system Grand jury in the Southern District of Florida, April 2024; sentencing on October 1, 2024 Pleaded not guilty; announced an appeal Convicted. 10 years in prison
3 Asset forfeiture Properties purchased with bribe money Judge Kathleen Williams, October 2024 One apartment was excluded due to lack of evidence Proven. $16.5 million seized
4 John Pólit’s conviction He laundered his father’s proceeds through investments in Florida Southern District of Florida, November 19, 2025 Pleaded guilty Sentence: 40 months
5 Bribery involving Seguros Sucre Initiated audits to pressure the state-owned insurance company in favor of Diego Sánchez, who paid him US$510,000 Included in the 2024 verdict Denied Proven at the Miami trial
6 Sentence reduction and compassionate release Requested a reduced sentence and subsequent release on health grounds Southern District of Florida Court He is the petitioner Reduction denied; compassionate release pending
7 Other alleged bribes Coca Codo Sinclair, IHG, Albacora Testimony at the Miami trial, 2024 No response on record No formal proceedings. Background information; not a proven fact
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Front 1: The conviction in Ecuador for extortion

In 2018, a court of the National Court of Justice sentenced Pólit to six years in prison, according to Infobae. It found him guilty of extortion as part of the Odebrecht scheme. The sentence was handed down in absentia. Pólit had traveled to the United States in 2017, shortly before the evidence came to light, and did not return. Ecuadorian courts upheld the conviction and rejected his defense’s appeals.

The Ecuadorian courts also ordered him to pay full restitution of US$40.4 million to the state, according to El Universo. In June 2022, the court gave him five days to pay the amount, and the Attorney General’s Office warned that it would begin enforcement proceedings. In October 2025, the Attorney General’s Office seized his assets in Ecuador due to nonpayment, according to Primicias. The extradition request to the United States has been pending since 2018, with no result.

Case 2: The Money Laundering Conviction in the United States

In April 2024, a 12-person jury in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida found Pólit guilty on all six counts, according to Infobae. The charges included conspiracy to launder money, money laundering, and transactions involving property derived from criminal activities. According to the Department of Justice, between 2010 and 2016, Pólit solicited and received bribes from Odebrecht. In exchange, he waived or failed to impose fines on the construction company in Ecuador.

Fourteen witnesses testified at the trial. José Conceição Santos, Odebrecht’s former representative in Ecuador, confirmed that he had given Pólit bribes totaling up to US$12 million, according to Diario La Hora. The purpose was to have reports from the Comptroller’s Office shelved. Insurance executive Diego Sánchez confirmed a bribe of US$510,000. Finally, on October 1, 2024, Judge Kathleen Williams sentenced him to 120 months in prison plus three years of supervised release, according to CNN. The prosecution had sought 235 months, while the defense had requested a maximum of six years.

Front 3: The Forfeiture of US$16.5 Million

In handing down the sentence, Judge Williams ordered the forfeiture of US$16.5 million in assets belonging to the Pólit family, according to the Department of Justice as cited by CNN. Among these assets is an office building on Coral Way in Miami, purchased for US$2.6 million in the name of a third party, according to Expreso. An apartment purchased with the proceeds from the sale of a house on Los Pinos Boulevard was excluded. The jury found insufficient evidence that it was part of the money-laundering scheme. Before the trial, the family had posted a multi-million-dollar bond, which sources estimate at between US$14 million and US$18 million. Pólit thus awaited trial under house arrest.

Page 4: The Conviction of His Son, John Pólit

John Christopher Pólit Estévez, a former banker, pleaded guilty in the United States to conspiracy to launder money, according to El Universo. According to the Department of Justice, he laundered the proceeds of bribes for his father’s benefit. He did so through the U.S. financial system and investments in South Florida. On November 19, 2025, he was sentenced to 40 months in prison, according to Extra and El Diario. He was scheduled to report to prison on January 7, 2026.

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In Ecuador, a court had sentenced him in absentia to three years as an accomplice. According to El Universo, that case has had no practical consequences in his home country.

Front 5: Audits as a Means of Pressure at Seguros Sucre

The U.S. conviction includes a bribery charge unrelated to Odebrecht. According to prosecutors, the president of Seguros Sucre, Juan Ribas Domenech, suspended the reinsurance contracts of Diego Sánchez Silva of Global Reinsurance Broker. Pólit then launched several audits against the state-owned insurer. The audits ceased when the contracts were reinstated. Sánchez paid him $510,000 in December 2015 through a Florida-based company, according to El Universo and Primicias. Ribas was sentenced in the United States to 51 months for money laundering linked to bribes from reinsurers. Sánchez testified as part of a cooperation agreement.

Front 6: The Denied Sentence Reduction and Compassionate Release

Following the sentencing, the defense requested a reduction of the 120-month sentence under a modification of the federal sentencing guidelines. The U.S. court rejected this request, according to El Universo. The defense also announced that it would appeal the verdict and the sentence.

On September 10, 2026, Pólit filed a request for compassionate release on his own, without a lawyer, according to Vistazo. He addressed it to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. He alleges functional, physical, and cognitive decline due to his age of 75. He cites a wrist fracture from a fall in prison in April 2026, sinus bradycardia, and lumbar disc narrowing. He is requesting to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest at his daughter’s apartment in Brickell Key, Miami. He had previously requested release from the prison warden on July 20, 2026, but received no response within 30 days. He is incarcerated at FCI Miami Low. As of October 7, 2026, the status of the request remains unknown.

Appendix: Allegations from the Miami trial without formal charges

The following facts emerged as testimony during the trial and have not led to formal charges against Pólit. They are included for background purposes, not as proven facts. Juan Ribas testified that in late 2016, Pólit made a request of him. He was to channel the reinsurance for the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric plant through the intermediary IHG. “To my understanding, it was a bribe,” he said, according to Plan V. Primicias listed other alleged payments mentioned during the trial: approximately US$400,000 linked to IHG and 109,800 euros from the company Albacora. The sources consulted do not indicate that the Ecuadorian Prosecutor’s Office has opened formal proceedings regarding these events.

So, what has been proven in Carlos Pólit’s case file?

  1. Proven and final in Ecuador: extortion involving bribes from Odebrecht, a 6-year prison sentence handed down in absentia in 2018, and unpaid restitution of US$40.4 million.
  2. Proven in the United States: conspiracy to launder money and money laundering; a 10-year prison sentence, handed down on October 1, 2024, following a jury verdict.
  3. Proven: forfeiture of US$16.5 million in assets in Florida.
  4. Proven: His son, John Pólit, is serving a 40-month sentence for laundering the bribe money.
  5. Proven at trial: a US$510,000 bribe from Diego Sánchez in connection with the audits of Seguros Sucre.
  6. Pending: the request for compassionate release in September 2026 and extradition to Ecuador.
  7. No formal proceedings: the alleged bribes from Coca Codo Sinclair, IHG, and Albacora mentioned during the trial.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How many years in prison is Carlos Pólit serving?

Ten years in the United States for conspiracy to launder money and money laundering. The sentence was handed down by Judge Kathleen Williams in Miami on October 1, 2024, plus three years of supervised release. In Ecuador, he also has a six-year sentence for extortion, handed down in absentia in 2018, which he has never served.

Why was Carlos Pólit convicted in the United States?

Because he laundered bribes totaling up to $12 million that he received from Odebrecht through the U.S. financial system in exchange for waiving fines imposed by the Comptroller’s Office. He also laundered a $510,000 bribe from insurance executive Diego Sánchez. A jury found him guilty on six counts in April 2024.

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Is Carlos Pólit in prison?

Yes. He is serving his sentence at the FCI Miami Low federal prison in Florida. On September 10, 2026, he requested compassionate release to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest. He cites health problems at age 75. As of October 7, 2026, no decision had been made on the request.

How much money does Carlos Pólit owe Ecuador?

US$40.4 million in full restitution, as determined by the Ecuadorian courts in the 2018 ruling. He has not paid this amount. In October 2025, the Attorney General’s Office seized his assets in Ecuador in an attempt to collect the debt.

What happened to John Pólit, Carlos Pólit’s son?

He pleaded guilty in the United States to conspiracy to launder money. He was sentenced on November 19, 2025, to 40 months in prison. According to the Department of Justice, he laundered the proceeds of his father’s bribes through investments in South Florida. He was scheduled to turn himself in on January 7, 2026.

What assets were seized from Carlos Pólit?

A Miami judge ordered the forfeiture of $16.5 million in assets. Among them was an office building on Coral Way purchased for $2.6 million in the name of a third party. One apartment was excluded because the jury found insufficient evidence that it was part of the money-laundering scheme.

Why has Ecuador been unable to extradite Carlos Pólit?

The extradition request has been pending since 2018 without result. Pólit was first tried and convicted in the United States, where he is serving his sentence. As long as he remains imprisoned there, the extradition process will not move forward.

What was the Seguros Sucre bribery case?

A payment of US$510,000 that businessman Diego Sánchez made to Pólit in December 2015. According to U.S. prosecutors, Pólit initiated audits against the state-owned insurance company Seguros Sucre to pressure it into reinstating Sánchez’s reinsurance contracts. The audits ceased once the contracts were reinstated.

Sources consulted

This article compiles documented facts and allegations attributed to the individuals named. The mention of an allegation does not imply its veracity, and the responses of the person mentioned are included in each case. Auditoría Abierta offers Carlos Pólit the opportunity to respond and will update the article with any new developments. Information verified as of October 7, 2026.

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