SAN DIEGO — Former army protection contractor Leonard “Fats Leonard” Francis used to be sentenced Tuesday to fifteen years in jail for masterminding a decade-long bribery scheme that swept up dozens of U.S. Army officials, federal prosecutors stated.U.S. District Pass judgement on Janis L. Sammartino additionally ordered Francis to pay $20 million in restitution to the Army and a $150,000 superb, in step with a observation from the U.S. Lawyer’s Place of work. He used to be additionally ordered to forfeit $35 million in “ill-gotten proceeds from his crimes,” the observation stated.Prosecutors stated the sentence effects from Leonard’s first accountable plea in 2015 regarding bribery and fraud, his intensive cooperation with the federal government since then, and any other accountable plea Tuesday for failing to look for his authentic sentencing listening to in 2022.In a while prior to he used to be because of be sentenced in September 2022, Leonard bring to a halt a GPS observe he used to be dressed in whilst beneath area arrest and fled the rustic. He used to be later arrested in Venezuela and taken again to the U.S. in December 2023.Sammartino sentenced him to greater than 13 1/2 years for the bribery and fraud fees plus 16 months for failing to look, to be served consecutively.“Leonard Francis covered his wallet with taxpayer greenbacks whilst undermining the integrity of U.S. Naval forces,” U.S. Lawyer Tara McGrath stated in Tuesday’s observation. ”The have an effect on of his deceit and manipulation will probably be lengthy felt, however justice has been served these days.”RELATED
Prosecutors stated Francis’ movements resulted in probably the most largest bribery investigations in U.S. army historical past, which resulted within the conviction and sentencing of just about two dozen Army officers, protection contractors and others on quite a lot of fraud and corruption fees.An enigmatic determine who used to be 6-foot-3 and weighed 350 kilos at one time, Francis owned and operated his circle of relatives’s send servicing industry, Singapore-based Glenn Protection Marine Asia, or GDMA, which equipped meals, water and gasoline to vessels. The Malaysian protection contractor used to be a key touch for U.S. Army ships at ports throughout Asia for greater than 20 years. Throughout that point, Francis wooed naval officials with Kobe red meat, pricey cigars, live performance tickets and wild intercourse events at luxurious accommodations from Thailand to the Philippines.In change, officials, 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 rate for pretend products and services at ports he managed in Southeast Asia. The officials handed him categorized data or even went as far as redirecting army vessels to ports that have been profitable for his Singapore-based send servicing corporate.In a federal sting, Francis used to be lured to San Diego on false pretenses and arrested at a lodge in September 2013. He pleaded accountable in 2015, admitting that he had presented greater than $500,000 in money bribes to Army officers, protection contractors and others. Prosecutors say he bilked the Army out of no less than $35 million. As a part of his plea deal, he cooperated with the investigation resulting in the Army convictions. He confronted as much as 25 years in jail.Whilst anticipating sentencing, Francis used to be hospitalized and handled for renal most cancers and different clinical problems. After leaving the sanatorium, he used to be allowed to stick out of prison at a condo house, on area arrest with a GPS ankle observe and safety guards.However 3 weeks prior to his scheduled sentencing in September 2022, he snipped off his observe and made a brazen break out, surroundings off a global seek. Officers stated he fled to Mexico, made his option to Cuba and in the end were given to Venezuela.He used to be arrested greater than two weeks after his disappearance — stuck prior to he boarded a flight on the Simon Bolivar World Airport out of doors Caracas. Venezuelan officers stated he meant to achieve Russia.RELATED
The instances have been treated via the U.S. Lawyer’s Place of work as a way to be impartial of the army justice device. However they’ve got here beneath scrutiny.The legal convictions of 4 former Army officials have been vacated following allegations of prosecutorial misconduct. Sammartino agreed so they can plead accountable to a misdemeanor and pay a $100 superb every.Ultimate yr, Sammartino dominated that the lead federal prosecutor within the officials’ case dedicated “flagrant misconduct” via withholding data from protection legal professionals, however that it used to be now not sufficient to disregard the case.
