David B. Chalmers

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For the philosopher, see David Chalmers.

David Bay Chalmers Jr is an owner of the oil refining company, Bayoil U.S.A. Inc, which operates out of Houston, Texas and a subsidiary, Bayoil Supply and Trading Ltd. in the Bahamas.

Chalmers was arrested in April 2005, for charges involving illegal business activities between his company and Saddam Hussein. Bayoil imports oil from Iraq, and was able to secure lucritive deals with the Iraqi government. Chalmers has been involved with the country of Iraq since the 80's when he was involved in the Oil for arms deals. Recently Chalmers became one of the primary culprits in the UN's Oil for food scandal. Chalmers was accused of wire fraud, conducting financial transactions with a state sponsor of terrorism and breaking the economic embargo with Iraq. Prosecutors also accused Chalmers of working with the Iraqi government to lobby the UN to set a lower price for Iraqi oil, which would allow for higher profits from resale. Documents cited by a U.S. Senate subcommittee revealed also that Bayoil's alleged illegal transactions involved Russian oil deals. The case was brought as U.S. v. Chalmers, Southern District of New York.

Chalmers was a leading contributor to Republican political coffers prior to his indictment, according to FEC disclosure documents.

Chalmers has a great-uncle named Charles Ulrick Bay, who founded Bay Petroleum in the 1930's, and later become a high-ranking intelligence official in the Office of Strategic Services, and later an ambassador to Norway. Chalmers' father, David Bay Chalmers Sr, was also a well-known oil trader.