José López served as Argentina’s Secretary of Public Works during the twelve years of Néstor Kirchner and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner’s administrations. In the early morning hours of June 14, 2016, he was filmed dumping bags containing nearly US$9 million at a convent. Since then, he has been the most recognizable face of corruption from that period. Ten years later, his case is one of the few in the region with final convictions and a sentence currently being served. This article chronologically details how the 13-year consolidated sentence was reached. It also indicates which convictions he can appeal and which cases are still pending. A side-by-side analysis of each proceeding can be found in López’s case file on Auditoría Abierta.
The short answer: José López is serving a combined sentence of 13 years in prison. This sentence was handed down by the Federal Court of Cassation in December 2025. It encompasses three final convictions: the “convent bags” case, the “Vialidad” case, and the illegal possession of a firearm. A fourth conviction, related to the “Sueños Compartidos” scheme, was handed down on September 14, 2026, and he can still appeal it. In addition, he is a defendant in the “Cuadernos” trial and is charged in the Odebrecht case involving the Sarmiento train line. In April 2026, he changed his story regarding Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. He is the only major defendant from the Kirchner era with three final convictions.
Who Is José López and Why His Case Matters in October 2026
José Francisco López headed the Secretariat of Public Works from 2003 to 2015, within Julio De Vido’s Ministry of Planning. Decisions regarding national public works projects were made in his office. These are the very same projects that were later investigated in the “Vialidad” and “Cuadernos” cases.
His case matters for two reasons. The first is symbolic: the images of the convent in General Rodríguez have become an icon of corruption from that era. The second is legal. Unlike most of the cases in this series, this one involves final convictions and a sentence that is being served. That is why it helps us understand how long it takes in Argentina for a sentence to become final. To compare it with a Brazilian case in which convictions pile up without being enforced, Bajo Lupa is publishing the case file of Sérgio Cabral.
Judicial Timeline of José López, Decision by Decision
| Date | Court | Decision | Level of Review |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 14, 2016 | General Rodríguez Monastery | López is caught throwing bags containing nearly US$9 million, jewelry, and a rifle | Proven |
| October 2017 | Mercedes Correctional Court No. 3 | Sentence of 1 year and 7 months for illegal possession of a firearm | Final |
| 2018 | “Cuadernos” Case | Testifies as a cooperating defendant and describes kickbacks ranging from 3% to 5% | Statement, included in the case file |
| June 12, 2019 | Federal Oral Court No. 1 | 6-year sentence for illicit enrichment | Trial Court |
| August 2019 | Federal Appeals Court | Overturns the indictment in the Sarmiento Odebrecht case | No active indictment |
| August 2021 | Court of Cassation | Upholds the conviction for the “bags” and increases the sentence to 7 years and 6 months | Appellate Court |
| Late 2022 | Federal Oral Court No. 2 | Conviction for fraudulent administration in the Vialidad case | First Instance |
| June 1, 2023 | Supreme Court | Upholds the conviction in the “bags” case | Final |
| September 30, 2025 | Supreme Court | Validates Car Wash evidence in the Sarmiento case | Preliminary investigation reopened |
| November 6, 2025 | Federal Oral Court No. 7 | The “Notebooks” trial begins with 86 defendants | On trial |
| December 2025 | Appeals Court, Chamber IV | Upholds the “Vialidad” conviction and consolidates the three sentences into a single 13-year term | Final |
| April 30, 2026 | The “Notebooks” Trial | He states that he “never” saw Cristina Kirchner as the head of a criminal organization | Personal Statement |
| September 14, 2026 | Federal Oral Court No. 5 | 2-year, 9-month suspended sentence in the “Sueños Compartidos” case | Subject to appeal |
2016–2023: The Bags, From the Video Footage to the Final Sentence
Security cameras at the Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima in General Rodríguez captured him in the early morning hours of June 14, 2016. He was throwing bags over a wall containing nearly $9 million, jewelry, and a rifle, according to La Nación. Three years later, on June 12, 2019, Federal Oral Court No. 1 sentenced him to six years for illicit enrichment. The court found that he could not justify the increase in his net worth while he headed the Public Works Ministry, according to Perfil.
In August 2021, the Court of Cassation upheld the sentence and increased it to seven years and six months, according to Infobae. It also convicted his wife, María Amalia Díaz, and businessmen Andrés Galera and Eduardo Gutiérrez as necessary accomplices. Finally, the Supreme Court upheld the ruling on June 1, 2023, according to La Nación. The court ordered the forfeiture of the money—which had been donated to the Garrahan and Gutiérrez hospitals—and his home in Tigre. Additionally, it permanently barred him from holding public office.
What Is Known About the Origin of the Money
Inside the bags was a heat-sealed bundle of $100,000 bearing Commerzbank and Federal Reserve seals. At the request of prosecutor Guillermo Osorio, the U.S. Department of Justice reported that this bundle was part of a shipment totaling US$3.2 million. Brinks transported it in October 2011 from New York to Banco Finansur in Buenos Aires, according to Infocielo. Finansur was then owned by Jorge Sánchez Córdova. Infocielo and the Buenos Aires Chamber of Deputies describe him as the former treasurer of Boca Juniors and a contributor to Mauricio Macri’s 2015 campaign.
This information is documented by an official source. However, there is no evidence that the money’s banking origin implicates anyone other than López. Political theories about the owner of the money—including Julio De Vido’s 2019 claim regarding Nicolás Caputo—lack judicial support. The final conviction is for López’s illicit enrichment, not for the traceability of each bill.
2017: The Gun, the Lightest Sentence
In the early morning at the convent, López was carrying a Sig Sauer 522LR semi-automatic carbine with 25 rounds of ammunition. For this, the Third Criminal Court of Mercedes sentenced him in October 2017 to one year and seven months in prison, according to Perfil. The Mercedes Appeals Court rejected the defense’s arguments, and the sentence stood. It is the shortest of the three, but it forms part of the consolidated sentence.
2022–2025: The Vialidad Case and 13 Years of Consolidated Sentences
In late 2022, Federal Oral Court No. 2 convicted him of fraudulent administration to the detriment of the State in the “Vialidad” case, according to Infobae. The case investigated the steering of public works contracts in Santa Cruz. It is the same ruling that convicted Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.
In December 2025, Chamber IV of the Federal Court of Cassation upheld that conviction. In the same ruling, it consolidated the three final convictions into a single sentence of 13 years in prison, according to Infobae. That is the sentence López is serving as of October 8, 2026.
2026: “Sueños Compartidos,” Appealable Sentence
On September 14, 2026, Federal Oral Court No. 5 sentenced him to two years and nine months of suspended imprisonment, according to Infobae. The court found him to be a co-perpetrator of aggravated fraudulent administration. The case investigated the “Sueños Compartidos” housing program, implemented by the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo Foundation with public funds between 2005 and 2011. The amount under investigation was $206,438,454. Sergio and Pablo Schoklender and Abel Fatala were also convicted. Julio De Vido was acquitted by a majority vote.
According to La Nación, the verdict came just before the statute of limitations expired on a case opened in 2011. The reasoning behind the verdict will be released on November 13, 2026, and the defense teams announced they will appeal to the Court of Cassation. Therefore, this conviction is not final and has not yet been added to the 13-year sentence.
Cases Still Pending: “Cuadernos” and the Sarmiento Train
López is one of the 86 defendants in the “Cuadernos” trial, according to Infobae. The trial began on November 6, 2025, before Federal Oral Court No. 7. In 2018, as a cooperating defendant, he had described a kickback scheme ranging from 3% to 5% in public works projects. However, on April 30, 2026, he read a written statement at the trial without answering questions. He said he “never” saw Cristina Fernández de Kirchner as the leader of a criminal organization, according to La Nación. He added that in 2018 he felt compelled to testify. The trial remains without a verdict, and his 2018 testimony remains on the record.
The Odebrecht case investigates the underground extension of the Sarmiento railway, a project worth approximately US$1.5 billion awarded in 2008. In that case, Judge Marcelo Martínez de Giorgi indicted him in April 2019. However, the Federal Appeals Court overturned that indictment in August of the same year due to lack of grounds, according to Infobae. On September 30, 2025, the Supreme Court upheld the use of evidence from Operation Car Wash, and the case moved forward again. López remains charged, though no current indictment is in effect.
What López Says and What His Accusers Say
López has changed his position over the years. In 2018, he cooperated with the authorities and described the bribery scheme. In 2026, he recanted his statements regarding the former president’s role. He has never publicly explained the origin of the $9 million. His accusers, on the other hand, have achieved what is rarely accomplished in the region: three final convictions and one sentence currently being served. The Prosecutor’s Office also maintains that he was part of the criminal conspiracy being tried by Federal Oral Court No. 7.
How to Interpret This Case File
Three key points. First: the 13 years constitute a single, final sentence—not a sum reported by the media. Second: the “Sueños Compartidos” conviction exists, but it is not final and is not included in those 13 years. Third: the “Cuadernos” and “Sarmiento” cases remain open and should not be counted as convictions. To see a case where this distinction is blurred, Bajo Lupa also publishes a fact-check on Keiko Fujimori and the difference between annulment and acquittal.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How many years in prison is José López serving?
Thirteen years, under a consolidated sentence set by Chamber IV of the Court of Cassation in December 2025. This combines three final convictions: illicit enrichment related to the bags (7 years and 6 months), fraudulent administration in the Vialidad case, and illegal possession of a weapon (1 year and 7 months).
How much money was in the bags at the convent?
Nearly US$9 million, in addition to jewelry and a semi-automatic rifle. López dumped them in the early morning hours of June 14, 2016, at a convent in General Rodríguez. The courts seized the money and donated it to the Garrahan and Gutiérrez hospitals.
Is the sentence for the bags final?
Yes. The Supreme Court upheld it on June 1, 2023. Federal Oral Court No. 1 had sentenced him to six years in 2019, and the Court of Cassation increased the sentence to seven years and six months in 2021. It includes a lifetime ban from holding public office.
What happened in the “Sueños Compartidos” case?
On September 14, 2026, Federal Oral Court No. 5 sentenced López to two years and nine months, suspended, for aggravated fraudulent administration. It also convicted the Schoklender brothers and Abel Fatala, and acquitted Julio De Vido. The defense will appeal, so the conviction is not final.
Did José López testify against Cristina Kirchner?
In 2018, he did, as a cooperating defendant in the Cuadernos case. However, on April 30, 2026, he stated at the trial that he “never” saw her as the leader of a criminal organization and that he had felt compelled to testify. The trial is still ongoing.
Where did the money in the bags come from?
The court attributed it to López’s illicit enrichment. Only one bundle of $100,000 has documented traceability: according to the U.S. Department of Justice, it was part of a $3.2 million remittance sent in 2011 to Banco Finansur. Claims regarding other owners of the money lack judicial support.
What is López’s connection to Odebrecht?
He is a defendant in the case involving bribes related to the Sarmiento train underground project, awarded in 2008 to a consortium of Odebrecht and IECSA. His 2019 indictment was overturned by the Federal Court of Appeals. In September 2025, the Supreme Court validated the evidence from Operation Car Wash, and the case remains under investigation.
What is the Vialidad case?
The case involving the steering of public works contracts in Santa Cruz during the Kirchner administrations. The Second Federal Oral Court convicted López of fraudulent administration in late 2022, in the same ruling that convicted Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. The Supreme Court upheld the conviction in December 2025.
Sources consulted
- La Nación: José López Sentenced to Six Years in Prison (June 12, 2019)
- Infobae: The Court of Cassation upheld José López’s seven-and-a-half-year sentence for the suitcases containing $9 million (August 6, 2021)
- Perfil: The Supreme Court upheld the conviction of José López for illicit enrichment (2023)
- La Nación: The Supreme Court upheld José López’s seven-and-a-half-year prison sentence for the suitcases (June 1, 2023)
- Infobae: The Court of Cassation upheld the 13-year prison sentence against José López (December 11, 2025)
- Infocielo: López’s suitcases: 5 lies 5 years after the scandal
- Buenos Aires Deputies: López’s “bags”: the status of the case and why no one is talking about the $9 million (2019)
- Ámbito: De Vido said the money in López’s bags belonged to Nicky Caputo (2019)
- Infobae: “Sueños Compartidos”: Julio De Vido Acquitted; José López and the Schoklender Brothers Received Suspended Sentences (September 14, 2026)
- La Nación: José López and the Schoklender brothers were convicted in connection with the “Sueños Compartidos” housing program (September 14, 2026)
- Infobae: With Cristina Kirchner connected via Zoom, the trial for the “Corruption Notebooks” case began (November 6, 2025)
- La Nación: José López testified at the “Bribery Notebooks” trial (April 30, 2026)
- Infobae: The Federal Court of Appeals overturned the indictments in the case involving bribes related to the Sarmiento subway project (August 21, 2019)
- Infobae: The Supreme Court upheld the use of evidence from Operation Car Wash in the case involving the Sarmiento train underground extension (September 30, 2025)
This article compiles documented facts and allegations attributed to the individuals named. The mention of an allegation does not imply its veracity, and the position of the person mentioned is stated in each case. Bajo Lupa offers José López the opportunity to respond and will update the text as new information becomes available. Information verified as of October 8, 2026.
Investigative Journalist and Case File Analyst
Guzmán Fajardo Báez is an investigative journalist specializing in the scrutiny of judicial proceedings, the coverage of regulatory frameworks, and the analysis of the administration of justice in Guatemala and Latin America. His career is distinguished by a firm commitment to institutional oversight, examining legal case files, court rulings, and public records to accurately document the exercise of power.
At Bajo Lupa, he is part of the investigative team tasked with untangling legal controversies and high-impact political cases. His journalistic approach prioritizes analytical sobriety, rigorous respect for due process, and the exhaustive cross-referencing of primary sources, providing citizens with a documented perspective free from partisan biases.