Former military defense contractor Leonard “Fat Leonard” Francis has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for orchestrating a decade-long bribery scheme involving numerous U.S. navy officers. The scheme involved overcharging for ship supplies and redirecting military vessels for financial gain. Francis must pay $20 million in restitution to the navy, a $150,000 fine, and forfeit $35 million in ill-gotten proceeds.
After fleeing the U.S. in 2022, Francis was caught in Venezuela and brought back to face his sentencing. He was initially set to be sentenced in 2022 for bribery and fraud charges but failed to appear leading to an additional 16 months in prison. Francis cooperated with the government leading to the conviction of nearly two dozen navy officials and defense contractors.
The bribery scandal involved lavish gifts and services from Francis, including Kobe beef, expensive cigars, luxury hotel parties, and classified information in exchange for favors from navy officers. He pleaded guilty to offering over $500,000 in bribes and defrauding the navy of $35 million.
Francis was allowed to stay under house arrest with a GPS monitor but cut it off and fled before his original sentencing. He was later caught in Venezuela attempting to reach Russia. The cases have faced scrutiny due to allegations of prosecutorial misconduct resulting in felony convictions being vacated and reduced to misdemeanors.
U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath stated that Francis undermined the integrity of the U.S. Naval forces. The impact of his deceit will be long felt, but justice has been served with his sentencing. It was one of the biggest bribery investigations in U.S. military history, ultimately leading to the conviction of numerous individuals involved in the corruption scandal.
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