The mastermind behind the decade-long bribery scheme and one of many largest corruption scandals in US army historical past that introduced down dozens of Navy officers has been sentenced to fifteen years in jail Tuesday.
Leonard Glenn Francis, nicknamed “Fats Leonard,” was additionally ordered to pay $20 million in restitution to the Navy, and fined $150,000 for his position within the scandal, in accordance with the US Legal professional’s Workplace.
The 350-pound criminal should forfeit $35 million “in ill-gotten proceeds from his crimes.”
Francis, 60, a former army protection contractor, admitted to providing as much as $500,000 in money bribes, extravagant meats like “Kobe beef” and “Spanish suckling pigs,” luxurious items together with designer purses and watches — and even prostitutes — to dozens of Navy officers and protection contractors in alternate for categorized data that gave his enterprise a leg up on bidding for army contracts to service ships.
The 6-foot-3 lug’s Singapore-based contracting firm, Glenn Protection Marine Asia, provided Navy vessels with meals, water, gasoline, tugboats, and sewage disposal.
Nevertheless, Francis used the within data he obtained by way of his bribes to “routinely” upcharge his firm’s items and companies, “defrauding the US Navy of tens of thousands and thousands.”
“Leonard Francis lined his pockets with taxpayer {dollars} whereas undermining the integrity of US Naval forces,” US Legal professional Tara McGrath mentioned. “The affect of his deceit and manipulation might be lengthy felt, however justice has been served as we speak.”
He was additionally sentenced on Tuesday for fleeing the nation.
The scammer was first arrested in 2013, pleaded responsible to bribery and fraud prices in 2015, and confronted as much as 25 years in jail.
Whereas he awaited sentencing in San Diego, Francis was hospitalized and handled for renal most cancers and different medical points and was allowed to remain on home arrest at a rental residence with a GPS ankle monitor and safety guards.
Nevertheless, three weeks earlier than he was scheduled to be sentenced in September 2022, he snipped off his monitor and fled the US, triggering a large worldwide manhunt.
Officers mentioned Francis fled from California to Mexico, then made his method to Cuba and finally ended up in Venezuela.
A 16-day worldwide seek for “Fats Leonard” ended when Interpol detained him within the Venezuelan capital of Caracas as he tried to board a flight to Russia.
He remained within the South American nation till Dec. 2023, when he was extradited to the US in a prisoner swap with Venezuela.
“Whereas I can not reverse the injury I’ve prompted, I’ve spent a lot of the 11 years since my arrest dedicated to taking full accountability and helping the federal government with its investigations,” Francis informed the decide, in accordance with 10 Information San Diego.
“Along with violating the belief of the court docket and the federal government, I remorse a lot that I let down my youngsters.”
Earlier than his escape and following his arrest in 2013, Francis supplied authorities investigators “detailed details about lots of of Sailors, from petty officers to admirals, and turned over monetary information, images, receipts, and Navy contracting paperwork,” in accordance with the US Legal professional’s workplace.
His data introduced almost 1,000 Navy officers, together with 91 admirals, beneath investigation.
Federal prosecutors introduced legal prices in opposition to 34 defendants, together with a number of high-ranking Naval officers, utilizing the knowledge Francis supplied to authorities whereas in US custody.
Regardless of securing over 30 convictions and responsible pleas, the case confronted controversy when prosecutors had been accused of withholding key proof from protection attorneys throughout the trial.
District Decide Janis L. Sammartino deemed former lead prosecutor Mark Pletcher responsible of “flagrant misconduct” throughout the trial of 5 Navy officers.
4 officers had been initially convicted, however these convictions had been overturned.
Sammartino agreed to permit them to plead responsible to a misdemeanor and pay a $100 advantageous every.
Different Navy officers who pleaded responsible to felony prices had been additionally allowed to have these prices decreased to misdemeanors.
with Put up wires
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