FIFA ex-vice president's sentencing delayed until November

IANS

New York, June 5 (IANS) Disgraced former Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) strongman Jeff Webb has had the sentencing in his corruption case delayed until November.

The 51-year-old banker, also a former vice-president of football's world governing body, FIFA, was due to appear in court for sentencing here on Friday but Judge Raymond Dearie granted a request from Webb's lawyers for a postponement, reports CMC.

In a letter, Webb's lawyer Edward O'Callaghan requested that sentencing "be adjourned to November 18".

The reason behind the request was not immediately clear and media reports say the letter did not include one.

Webb is currently under house arrest at his plush Atlanta residence where he has been held since last September when the courts relaxed the terms of his bail conditions.

He had been initially placed under house arrest in New York following his arraignment on multiple corruption charges last August but his lawyers argued the arrangement had proven too expensive.

Only last month, the conditions for Webb's bail were further relaxed, with the courts allowing the Cayman Islands resident to travel up to 50 miles from his house to help care for his infant son.

Webb was one of several current and former football officials arrested last May when Swiss police swooped down on a luxury Zurich hotel, where high profile administrators had gathered for a FIFA congress.

He was subsequently extradited to the US to face charges as part of the largest corruption scandal to hit the sport, and eventually pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, three counts of wire-fraud conspiracy and three counts of money-laundering conspiracy.

--IANS

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