HOUSTON -- Former KBR Chairman and CEO Albert "Jack" Stanley admitted his role in a bribery scheme involving tens of millions of dollars.

Stanley, 65, pleaded guilty to two counts at the Houston Federal Courthouse on Wednesday afternoon.

The Houston resident admitted he helped set up a $180 million slush fund to bribe top Nigerian government officials to get natural gas contracts.

Prosecutors told the judge that at least three other companies were also involved in the decade-long scheme, but Stanley was the ringleader.

The four contracts to build liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities on Bonny Island, Nigeria, were valued at more than $6 billion. They were awarded between 1995 and 2004.

In the second count, Stanley admitted that he received $10.8 million in bribes from a consultant he convinced his company to hire.

Stanley pleaded guilty to a two-count criminal information charging him with conspiracy to violate the FCPA and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. 

He has agreed to a seven-year prison sentence. Prosecutors say it's the longest sentence ever in cases involving the Foreign Corruption Protection Act.

“The Department of Justice is committed to aggressively enforcing the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich.  “Today’s plea demonstrates that corporate executives who bribe foreign government officials in return for lucrative business deals can expect to face prosecution.”

AP

The liquefied natural gas facilities were built on Nigeria's Bonney Island.

Stanley was also ordered to pay $10 million in restitution.

As part of his plea agreement, he agreed to cooperate with law enforcement authorities in the ongoing investigations.

Prosecutors said Stanley might be eligible for a shorter sentence if he continues to cooperate.

"Mr. Stanley has been cooperating and cooperated today, he will continue to cooperate and that's all we have to say," said Stanley's attorney, Larry Veselka.

"The real question is who are the people at these companies that are in the position to know this," said 11 News legal expert Gerald Treece. "I doubt they are underlings that are involved."

The Justice Department would not reveal the names or companies that are still under investigation or whether Vice President Dick Cheney was ever involved. Cheney was CEO of Halliburton, KBR's parent company at the time, when the crimes happened.

The government investigation into KBR contracts began in the 1990s after a disgruntled employee alerted investigators.

France and Britain are conducting separate investigations into the bribery allegations.

Prosecutors said the investigation is "very broad" and will continue.

Stanley left KBR, a subsidiary of Halliburton, in 2004.

Court records indicate Stanley is a close friend of Vice President Dick Cheney. Cheney was the head of Halliburton when some of the bribes took place, but he has not been implicated in the bribery investigation.