Put that mystery book aside, and enjoy reading about how a Malaysian financier and key employees of Goldman Sachs facilitated the theft of billions of dollars from a Malaysian investment fund, known as 1MDB. The money, from the proceeds of several bond offerings handled by Goldman, went to pay bribes to government officials in at least two countries, and to line the pockets of the conspirators, who bought real estate, high-priced art, and even invested in a movie, appropriately “The Wolf of Wall Street.”

This week, one Goldman exec entered a guilty plea, and the Justice Department indicted a second Goldman exec, and arrested a third. They allegedly assisted a Malaysian wheeler-dealer known as Jho Low, an influential advisor who served as a middle-man in a series of deals handled by Goldman in which the missing billions went walkabout.

Here’s a summary from the DOJ press release:

1MDB is a Malaysian state-owned and controlled fund created to pursue investment and development projects for the economic benefit of Malaysia and its people. As alleged in court filings, between approximately 2009 and 2014, as 1MDB raised money to fund its projects, billions of dollars were misappropriated and fraudulently diverted from 1MDB, including funds 1MDB raised in 2012 and 2013 through three bond transactions that it executed with the Financial Institution. As part of the scheme, and as alleged in court filings, Low, Ng, Leissner, and others conspired to bribe government officials in Malaysia, including at 1MDB, and Abu Dhabi to obtain and retain lucrative business for the Financial Institution, including the 2012 and 2013 bond deals. They also allegedly conspired to launder the proceeds of their criminal conduct through the U.S. financial system by purchasing, among other things, luxury residential real estate in New York City and elsewhere, and artwork from a New York-based auction house, and by funding major Hollywood films.

As alleged, Low’s close relationships with high-ranking government officials in Malaysia and Abu Dhabi were central to the scheme. Ng, Leissner, and others at the Financial Institution allegedly knew Low was close to these government officials, including a high-ranking Malaysian government official who had authority to approve 1MDB business decisions (Malaysian Official #1). According to allegations in court filings, beginning in approximately 2009 and continuing through 2014, Low, Ng, Leissner, and the other co-conspirators used Low’s relationships to obtain and retain business for the Financial Institution through the promise and payment of hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes, including to ensure 1MDB awarded the Financial Institution a role on three bond transactions known internally at the Financial Institution as “Project Magnolia,” “Project Maximus,” and “Project Catalyze.” As a result of its work for 1MDB during that time, the Financial Institution allegedly received approximately $600 million in fees and revenues along with increased reputational prestige. At the same time, Ng, Leissner and others allegedly received large bonuses and enhanced their own reputations at the Financial Institution. In total, according to allegations in court filings, more than $2.7 billion was misappropriated from 1MDB and Low, Ng, Leissner and others conspired to launder this money through the U.S. financial system to pay bribes to foreign officials and for the personal benefit of themselves and their relatives.

The full press release tells more of the tale.

For more, check out the indictment, along with the criminal information filed along with the guilty plea by Goldman’s former Southeast Asia Chairman.

The conspiracy allegedly involved the defendants, several unknown co-conspirators, and a former Malaysian Prime Minister.

A number of lawsuits previously filed by the Department of Justice have sought to confiscate properties allegedly purchased with the stolen funds.

Really, would such a sweeping conspiracy make a believable work of fiction?