Legal representation for Jean Rene Duperval, the former international relations director for Haiti Teleco, has filed an appeal for Duperval's U.S. federal charges for money laundering and conspiracy.
Duperval's lawyer, John E. Bergendahl, officially filed his intention to appeal last week in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit.

Duperval was found guilty of receiving payouts from two Florida-based telecommunication companies, Terra Telecommunications Corp and Cinergy Telecommunications Inc., between 2003 and 2006. He was sentenced last May for nine years in prison in a Miami federal court. He is required to surrender $500,000 in bribery profits.

The former Haiti Teleco official is just one among many charged in the U.S. federal investigation in bribery schemes involving the state-owned telecommunications company. Duperval however is the first Haitian government official to be convicted by the U.S. Justice Department under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which bans government bribery practices by American companies operating abroad. The former president of Terra Telecommunications Joel Esquenazi is also filing an appeal in the 11th circuit court. He was sentenced to prison for 15 years

Key to Duperval's conviction is the damning testimony of fellow Haiti Teleco official, Robert Antoine, whose sentence was recently cut by 18 months because of his assistance to the federal Haiti Teleco trials.