to Saddam's regime. Wyatt's defense also floated the issue of "vindictive prosecution"—that is, the Bush administration singling out its old nemesis in both the oil patch and politics for punishment while leaving other possible violators of the sanctions alone. Prosecutors, in turn, amassed a daunting paper trail and rewarded a few former Iraqi petrocrats with help in obtaining U.S. green cards—as long as they agreed to testify against sanction breakers like Wyatt. In October 2007 Wyatt pleaded guilty to conspiring to, under the Oil for Food program, make illegal payments to Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Wyatt received a one-year prison sentence, and was sentenced to serve in the minimum security camp at the Federal Correctional Complex, Beaumont, in Beaumont, Texas. Comeback After stepping down from Coastal, Wyatt continued to consult with other petroleum related interests to help them improve their processes and procedures, and maximize their pipeline and refinery operations, resulting in better returns for common shareholders. Wyatt invested in frozen foods distribution and, in July 2001, created a new company - the NuCoastal Corporation, renamed Coastal Energy - to explore energy opportunities available across the globe, including Malaysia, and sold Coastal Energy for $500 million in 2013. References Coastal Energy Texas Monthly 2001 Forbes Texas Monthly 2007 Further reading External links 1924 births Living people American businesspeople convicted of crimes American businesspeople in the oil industry American chief executives American prisoners and detainees American white-collar criminals Aviators from Texas Businesspeople from Texas Criminals from Texas People from Beaumont, Texas Military personnel from Houston People from Navasota, Texas Prisoners and detainees of the United States federal government Texas A&M University alumni United States Army Air Forces bomber pilots of World War II