By Colin Kellaher


Stericycle Inc. on Wednesday said it agreed to pay about $90 million to settle civil and criminal charges related to alleged bribery that took place in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico.

U.S. authorities had accused the Bannockburn, Ill., provider of waste-management services of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by paying millions of dollars in bribes to obtain and maintain business from government customers in those three countries from at least 2012 to 2016.

In its 2021 annual report filed with the SEC in February, Stericycle said an internal investigation found evidence of improper conduct, and that it had begun settlement talks with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Justice Department and Brazilian authorities, adding that it had recorded an aggregate accrued liability of $80.7 million as of the end of 2021.

Stericycle on Wednesday said it fully cooperated with the investigations, which focused on conduct by certain employees prior to 2017, and that it has since sold its operations in Argentina and Mexico.

Stericycle said it has entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Justice Department and agreed to an administrative order with the SEC. As part of the settlement, Stericycle will hire an independent compliance monitor for two years and will then self-report to the U.S. agencies on its compliance with the agreements for an additional year.


Write to Colin Kellaher at colin.kellaher@wsj.com


(END) Dow Jones Newswires

04-20-22 1205ET