WASHINGTON: The extradition of convicted defence contractor Leonard “Fats Leonard” Francis to the USA as a part of the Venezuelan prisoner swap on Wednesday (Dec 20) is the newest twist in a decade-long salacious saga and bribery scheme that swept up dozens of American Navy officers.
One of many greatest bribery investigations in US navy historical past led to the conviction and sentencing of practically two dozen Navy officers, defence contractors and others on varied fraud and corruption expenses. It was punctuated by Francis’ daring escape final 12 months, when he fled from home arrest at his San Diego residence to South America.
An enigmatic determine, Francis owned and operated his household’s ship servicing enterprise, Singapore-based Glenn Protection Marine Asia or GDMA, which provided meals, water and gasoline to vessels.
The Malaysian defence contractor was a key contact for US Navy ships at ports throughout Asia for greater than twenty years. Throughout that point he wooed naval officers with Kobe beef, costly cigars, live performance tickets and wild intercourse events at luxurious lodges from Thailand to the Philippines.
In trade, the officers, together with the primary active-duty admiral to be convicted of a federal crime, hid the scheme through which Francis would overcharge for supplying ships or cost for pretend companies at ports he managed in Southeast Asia.
The officers handed him labeled data and even went as far as redirecting navy vessels to ports that had been profitable for his Singapore-based ship servicing firm.
In a federal sting, Francis was lured to San Diego on false pretenses and arrested at a resort in September 2013.
He pleaded responsible in 2015, admitting that he had supplied greater than US$500,000 in money bribes to Navy officers, defence contractors and others. Prosecutors say he bilked the Navy out of a minimum of US$35 million.
As a part of his plea deal, he cooperated with the investigation resulting in the Navy convictions. He confronted as much as 25 years in jail.
Whereas awaiting sentencing, Francis was hospitalised and handled for renal most cancers and different medical points. After leaving the hospital, he was allowed to remain out of jail at a rental residence, on home arrest with a GPS ankle monitor and safety guards.
However three weeks earlier than his scheduled sentencing in September 2022, he snipped off his monitor and made a brazen escape, setting off a world search. Officers stated he fled to Mexico, made his strategy to Cuba and finally received to Venezuela.
