Vitol Group paid $75 million to buy out former trader Javier Aguilar even after his 2024 conviction for conspiring to bribe officials in Brazil, Ecuador, and Mexico. Court documents reveal Vitol "paid out the remaining tranches of Javier's equity in full, before and after trial," according to Aguilar's lawyers. Aguilar owned 0.55% of the employee-owned trading house from 2017 to 2019, with shares worth $75.5 million in 2020. A senior Vitol executive testified the company could forfeit shares of employees who commit crimes but did not clarify if this applied to Aguilar.

Aguilar's lawyers argue the continued payments show Vitol's complicity, claiming he participated in an "entrenched corporate culture of bribery" masterminded by senior executives. Vitol previously admitted to bribery from 2005-2020 in a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) dismissed in June 2024. CEO Russell Hardy said the company had "changed a lot" since the DOJ investigation. A Vitol spokesperson stated the DOJ never alleged executive management knew of Aguilar's misconduct.

Prosecutors seek at least 12 years' imprisonment for Aguilar, a Mexican citizen, while his lawyers request a non-custodial sentence and self-deportation. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for later this week.