A British businessman pleaded guilty to a criminal charge Tuesday in connection with the U.N.'s scandal-ridden oil-for-food program.

John Irving, who had consented to be extradited from the U.K., pleaded guilty to unlawful transport and sale of merchandise into the U.S. The plea came at a hearing before U.S. District Judge Denny Chin in Manhattan on Tuesday.

A lawyer for Irving didn't immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

Under a plea agreement with the government, Irving will face a sentencing guidelines range of zero to six months in prison.

As part of the agreement, prosecutors said they wouldn't pursue other charges against Irving in the alleged scheme to pay millions of dollars in secret kickbacks to the Iraqi government in order to obtain oil from the U.N. program.

Prosecutors alleged that Irving assisted Bayoil Supply & Trading Ltd. in transporting a cargo of crude oil into the U.S. that was purchased under the oil-for-food program. He did so despite being told that entity with the contract for the crude oil had promised to pay a secret surcharge to the Iraqi government, prosecutors said.

Texas oilman David B. Chalmers Jr. and two Bayoil companies pleaded guilty to conspiracy in August 2007. Chalmers was sentenced to two years in prison in March 2008.

The oil-for-food program was designed to allow the government of Iraq, which was facing international sanctions, to sell oil in exchange for food, medical supplies and other humanitarian needs. Payments under the program were supposed to be made to a U.N.-controlled escrow account, not directly to the Iraqi government.

An independent investigation headed by former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul A. Volcker in 2005 found that Saddam Hussein's government was allowed to pocket billions of dollars by manipulating the program, and kickbacks were paid to U.N. officials. The program began in 1996 and ended in 2003.

Eight people, including Irving and Chalmers, have either pleaded guilty or been convicted of criminal charges in the matter. Criminal charges are pending against several other individuals, including the program's former executive director, Benon V. Sevan.

Oscar S. Wyatt Jr., former chairman of Coastal Corp., pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy in October 2007, abruptly ending his trial on conspiracy, wire fraud and other charges on its 12th day. He was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison in November 2007.

Last June, Iraq's new government sued Wyatt, Chalmers and dozens of companies for alleged corruption under the oil-for-food program.

Swiss oil-trading firm Vitol SA pleaded guilty to grand larceny in the first degree in state court in November 2007 in connection with a scheme to pay kickbacks through associated entities or third parties in exchange for oil. Vitol agreed to pay restitution of $13 million to the Development Fund for Iraq and will make a payment of $4.5 million to the city and state of New York.

Chevron Corp. (CVX) in November 2007 agreed to pay $30 million to settle civil and criminal charges related to secret surcharges paid by third-party merchants in exchange for oil under the program.

In February 2007, El Paso Corp. (EP), which acquired Coastal Corp. in 2001, agreed to pay $7.7 million to settle civil and criminal charges that it indirectly paid $5.5 million in illegal surcharges to Iraq through purchases of crude oil from outside parties under the oil-for-food program.

-By Chad Bray, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-227-2017; chad.bray@dowjones.com