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Three Bridgestone Corp. Executives Indicted for Roles in Fixing Prices and Rigging Bids on Auto Parts Installed in U.S. Cars

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A Cleveland federal grand jury returned an indictment against one current executive and two former executives of Bridgestone Corp. for their roles in an international conspiracy to fix prices of automotive anti-vibration rubber parts sold in the United States and elsewhere, the Department of Justice announced today.

The indictment, filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio in Toledo, charges Yoshiyuki Tanaka, Yasuo Ryuto and Isao Yoshida, all Japanese nationals, with participating in a conspiracy to suppress and eliminate competition in the automotive parts industry by agreeing to allocate sales of, to rig bids for, and to fix, raise and maintain the prices of anti-vibration rubber parts sold to Toyota Motor Corp., Nissan Motor Corp., Suzuki Motor Corp., Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. – more commonly known by its brand name, Subaru – and certain of their subsidiaries, affiliates and suppliers, in the United States and elsewhere.

“Today’s indictment again demonstrates that antitrust violations are not just corporate offenses but also crimes by individuals,” said Brent Snyder, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division’s criminal enforcement program.    “The division will continue to vigorously prosecute executives who circumvent the law in order to maximize profits by harming consumers.”

Tanaka was employed by Bridgestone in various positions involving anti-vibration rubber parts sales, including manager at Bridgestone and executive vice-president at Bridgestone’s U.S. subsidiary Bridgestone APM Co., from approximately 1991 through at least February 2011.    He is currently manager of the anti-vibration rubber original equipment international planning section.    Ryuto was employed by Bridgestone in various positions involving anti-vibration rubber parts sales, including general manager and director, from approximately 1991 through at least June 2008; he is no longer employed by the company.    Yoshida was employed by Bridgestone in various positions involving anti-vibration rubber parts sales, including manager and general manager, from approximately 1997 through at least September 2008 ; he is no longer employed by the company.

The indictment alleges that Tanaka, Ryuto, Yoshida and their co-conspirators conducted meetings and communications in Japan to reach collusive agreements regarding the sale of automotive anti-vibration rubber products to automakers in the United States and elsewhere.    The indictment alleges that the conspiracy involved agreements affecting the Tacoma, Camry, Tundra, Sequoia, Corolla, Sienna, Venza and Highlander.    According to the indictment, Tanaka participated in the conspiracy from at least as early as January 2004 until at least June 2008; Ryuto participated in the conspiracy from at least as early as April 2001 until at least May 29, 2008; and Yoshida participated in the conspiracy from at least as early as January 2001 until at least July 2008.

Bridgestone manufactures and sells a variety of automotive parts, including anti-vibration rubber parts, which are comprised primarily of rubber and metal, and are installed in suspension systems and engine mounts as well as other parts of an automobile.    They are installed in automobiles for the purpose of reducing road and engine vibration.    On Feb. 13, 2014, Bridgestone agreed to plead guilty and to pay a $425 million criminal fine for its role in the conspiracy.

To date, 32 individuals have been charged in the government’s ongoing investigation into price fixing and bid rigging in the auto parts industry.    Additionally, 26 companies have pleaded guilty or agreed to plead guilty and have agreed to pay a total of more than $2.29 billion in fines.

Each of the individuals is charged with price fixing and bid rigging in violation of the Sherman Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine for individuals.    The maximum fine for an individual may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime, if either of those amounts is greater than the statutory maximum fine.

Today’s charges are the result of an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into price fixing, bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct in the automotive parts industry, which is being conducted by each of the Antitrust Division’s criminal enforcement sections and the FBI.    These cases were brought by the Antitrust Division’s Chicago Office and the FBI’s Cleveland Field Office, with the assistance of the FBI headquarters’ International Corruption Unit and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.    Anyone with information on price fixing, bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct related to other products in the automotive parts industry should contact the Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, visit  www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.html or call the FBI’s Cleveland Field Office at 216-522-1400.

Bridgestone Corp. Agrees to Plead Guilty to Price Fixing on Automobile Parts Installed in U.S. Cars

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WASHINGTON — Bridgestone Corp., a Tokyo, Japan-based company, has agreed to plead guilty and to pay a $425  million criminal fine for its role in a conspiracy to fix prices of automotive  anti-vibration rubber parts installed in cars sold in the United States and  elsewhere, the Department of Justice announced today.

According to a  one-count felony charge filed today in U.S. District Court for the Northern  District of Ohio in Toledo, Bridgestone engaged in a conspiracy to allocate  sales of, to rig bids for and to fix, raise and maintain the prices of automotive  anti-vibration rubber parts it sold to Toyota Motor Corp., Nissan Motor Corp.,  Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., Suzuki Motor Corp., Isuzu Motors Ltd. and certain  of their subsidiaries, affiliates and suppliers, in the United States and  elsewhere.  In addition to the criminal  fine, Bridgestone also has agreed to cooperate with the department’s ongoing  auto parts investigations.  The plea  agreement is subject to court approval.

In October 2011,  Bridgestone pleaded guilty and paid a $28 million fine for price-fixing and  Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations in the marine hose industry, but did  not disclose at the time of the plea that it had also participated in the  anti-vibration rubber parts conspiracy.  Bridgestone’s  failure to disclose this conspiracy was a factor in determining the $425  million fine.

“The Antitrust Division will take a hard line when repeat offenders  fail to disclose additional anticompetitive behavior,” said Brent Snyder, Deputy  Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division’s criminal enforcement  program.  “Today’s significant fine  reaffirms the division’s commitment to holding companies accountable for  conduct that harms U.S. consumers.”

According to the  charges, Bridgestone and its co-conspirators carried out the conspiracy through  meetings and conversations in which they discussed and agreed upon bids, prices  and allocating sales of certain automotive anti-vibration rubber products.  After exchanging this information with its  co-conspirators, Bridgestone submitted bids and prices in accordance with those  agreements and sold and accepted payments for automotive anti-vibration rubber  parts at collusive and noncompetitive prices.  Bridgestone’s involvement in the conspiracy to  fix prices of anti-vibration rubber parts lasted from at least January 2001  until at least December 2008.

“The Cleveland  Division of the FBI is committed to aggressively investigating price-fixing and  other antitrust violations,” said Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony.  “The illegal activity in this case threatened  the basic tenet of free competition.  We  are pleased with the acceptance of responsibility along with the significant  penalty which will be paid by Bridgestone for this conspiracy to fix prices.  Together with our partners in the Department  of Justice’s Antitrust Division, we will continue to combat illegal practices  which threaten consumers across the United States.”

Bridgestone manufactures and sells a variety of  automotive parts, including anti-vibration  rubber parts, which are comprised primarily of rubber and metal, and are  installed in suspension systems and engine mounts as well as other parts of an  automobile.  They are installed in  automobiles for the purpose of reducing road and engine vibration.

Including  Bridgestone, 26 companies have pleaded guilty or agreed to plead guilty in the department’s  ongoing investigation into price fixing and bid rigging in the automotive parts  industry.  The companies have agreed to  pay a total of more than $2 billion in criminal fines.  Additionally, 28 individuals have been  charged.

Bridgestone is  charged with price fixing in violation of the Sherman Act, which carries  maximum penalties of a $100 million criminal fine for corporations.  The maximum fine may be increased to twice the  gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the  crime, if either of those amounts is greater than the statutory maximum fine.

Today’s  prosecution is the result of an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into  price fixing, bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct in the automotive  parts industry, which is being conducted by each of the Antitrust Division’s  criminal enforcement sections and the FBI.  Today’s charge was brought by the Antitrust  Division’s Chicago Office and the FBI’s Cleveland Field Office, with the  assistance of the FBI headquarters’ International Corruption Unit and the U.S.  Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.  Anyone with information concerning this investigation  should contact the Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center at  1–888–647–3258, visit www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.html or call the  FBI’s Cleveland Field Office at 216-522-1400.