The mastermind of the decade long bribery scheme and one of the biggest corruption Scandals in American military history The man who killed dozens of Navy officers was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Tuesday.
Leonard Glenn Francis, alias “fat leonardAccording to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, “The Navy was also ordered to pay $20 million in compensation, and was fined $150,000 for their role in the scandal.”
The 350-pound gangster must forfeit $35 million in “illicit proceeds of crime.”
Francis, 60, a former military defense contractor, bribed dozens of navies with up to $500,000 in cash, extravagant meats such as “Kobe beef” and “Spanish suckling pigs”, luxury gifts including designer handbags and watches – and even Admitted to offering to prostitutes. Officials and defense contractors promoted their business by bidding for military contracts for service ships in exchange for classified information.
Glenn Defense Marine Asia, a Singapore-based contracting company with a length of 6 feet 3 inches, supplied food, water, fuel, tugboats and sewage disposal to naval ships.
However, Francis used the inside information he obtained through his bribes to “regularly” inflate his company’s goods and services, “defrauding the U.S. Navy of millions.”
U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath said, “Leonard Francis lined his pockets with taxpayer money while undermining the integrity of U.S. naval forces.” “The impact of their deception and manipulation will be felt for a long time, but today justice has been served.”
On Tuesday, he was also sentenced for fleeing the country.
The scammer was first arrested in 2013, pleaded guilty to bribery and fraud charges in 2015 and faced up to 25 years in prison.
While he awaited sentencing in San Diego, Francis was hospitalized and treated for kidney cancer and other medical problems and was placed under house arrest in a rental home with a GPS ankle monitor and security guards. Was allowed to stay.
However, three weeks before his sentencing in September 2022, he snatched his monitor and fled the US, triggering a massive international manhunt.
Authorities said Francis fled from California to Mexico, then to Cuba and ultimately ended up in Venezuela.
A 16-day international manhunt for “Fat Leonard” ended when Interpol detained him in the Venezuelan capital Caracas as he attempted to fly to Russia.
He remained in the South American nation until December 2023, when he was extradited to the US Prisoner exchange with Venezuela,
Francis told the judge, “Although I cannot repair the harm I have caused, I have spent much of the 11 years since my arrest taking full accountability and assisting the government in its investigation.” 10 news san diego,
“In addition to violating the trust of the court and the government, I am deeply sorry that I disappointed my children.”
Before his escape and after his arrest in 2013, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Francis provided government investigators with “detailed information about hundreds of sailors ranging from petty officers to admirals, and financial records, photographs, receipts and Navy contracts. Documents handed over.” ,
His information brought about 1,000 naval officers, including 91 admirals, under investigation.
Federal prosecutors brought criminal charges against 34 defendants, including several high-ranking Navy officers, using information Francis provided to authorities while in U.S. custody.
Despite achieving over 30 convictions and guilty pleas, the case faced controversy when prosecutors were accused of concealing key evidence from defense attorneys during the trial.
District Judge Janice L. Sammartino found former lead prosecutor Mark Pletcher guilty of “gross misconduct” during the trial of five Navy officers.
Four officers were initially convicted, but those convictions were overturned.
Sammartino agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor and allow each to pay a $100 fine.
Other Navy officers who pleaded guilty to felony charges were also allowed to have those charges reduced to misdemeanors.
with post wires
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