US jails Fat Leonard in Navy's biggest bribery scandal

Leonard Glenn Francis, often referred to as 'Fat Leonard', has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for his involvement in a significant bribery scandal that has been labeled the largest corruption case in the history of the US Navy. In addition to his prison sentence, the court imposed a fine of $150,000 on him and ordered him to pay $20 million in restitution to the US Navy. Francis, a businessman from Malaysia, pleaded guilty in 2015 to charges of bribing high-ranking Navy officials with millions of dollars in cash, luxury travel, expensive liquor, and even prostitutes. In exchange for these bribes, he received classified information and was able to overcharge the Navy by $35 million for his company's services to the 7th Fleet, which operates in the Indo-Pacific region. Initially, he was scheduled to be sentenced in 2022, but he attempted to evade justice by cutting off his ankle monitor and was recaptured shortly thereafter. The US Attorney's Office stated that the sentence reflects the admissions made in his 2015 guilty plea, his extensive cooperation with the government, and his guilty plea on the day of sentencing for failing to appear at the original hearing. Furthermore, his company, Glenn Defense Marine Asia, which is based in Singapore, was also sentenced to five years of probation and fined $36 million. Officials have indicated that the scandal has severely damaged public trust in certain Navy leaders, and its repercussions will be felt for many years to come. Francis was arrested in California in 2013 and pleaded guilty to bribery and fraud charges in 2015. After his escape in September, he was attempting to flee to Russia. His case became widely known as the 'Fat Leonard' scandal due to his notable physical appearance at the time. He was returned to California last December as part of a prisoner exchange between the US and Venezuela, which involved the release of a close associate of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in return for 10 American detainees. US Attorney Tara McGrath commented, 'Leonard Francis lined his pockets with taxpayer dollars while undermining the integrity of US Naval forces. ' She emphasized that the impact of his deceit and manipulation will be long-lasting, but justice has been served. The bribery and corruption that Francis fostered within the Navy over many years were described as 'aggravated and egregious. ' However, while in custody, he assisted investigators in uncovering unprecedented levels of corruption within the Navy. He provided detailed information on hundreds of sailors, ranging from petty officers to admirals. Kelly Mayo, the Director of the Defense Department's Office of the Inspector General, stated, 'Mr. Francis’ sentencing brings closure to an expansive fraud scheme that he perpetrated against the US Navy with assistance from various Navy officials. ' She added that his actions not only degraded the 7th Fleet’s readiness but also shook the Fleet’s trust in its leadership, which furthered his corrupt practices.