A jury on Friday found former Florida Congressman David Rivera guilty of conspiracy, failing to register as a foreign agent and other crimes related to lobbying US officials on behalf of the Venezuelan government.
Prosecutors said Venezuela's state-run oil company hired Rivera's consulting firm for a $50m (£37m) fee to lobby members of Congress to help improve US relations with Venezuela.
The six-week trial saw testimony from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a friend of Rivera's, as well as Texas Congressman Pete Sessions, both of whom said they had no idea of Rivera's lobbying.
Defense lawyers had said the lobbying was for a US subsidiary of the oil company, not the Venezuelan government.
Rivera, who served in Congress from 2011 to 2013, was ordered to be detained after prosecutors argued he posed a flight risk. He showed little emotion when the verdict was read, according to US media outlets.
