Leonard Glenn Francis, a former protection contractor convicted for masterminding an extraordinary bribery and fraud scheme focused on the U.S. Military, used to be sentenced Tuesday in federal court docket to fifteen years in jail. He used to be ordered to pay $20 million in restitution and a $150,000 superb, the Division of Justice introduced.Francis, referred to as “Fats Leonard,” pled to blame in 2015 to the bribery and fraud fees, however fled the U.S. in 2022 leaving his GPS ankle tracking bracelet in a water cooler simply days sooner than he used to be to be sentenced. The U.S. Marshals Carrier advised CBS Information Francis used to be detained on an Interpol purple realize at Simon Bolivar Global Airport in Venezuela whilst boarding a flight to Cuba. He used to be returned to the U.S. closing yr as a part of a big prisoner switch care for Venezuela. Ten American detainees have been launched within the 2023 deal in change for the Biden management liberating Alex Saab, a Colombian-born businessman and shut best friend of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro who used to be dealing with cash laundering fees.
Leonard Francis, often referred to as “Fats Leonard,” fled area arrest in 2022, days sooner than he used to be because of be sentenced in an enormous Military bribery scheme.
U.S. Marshals Carrier by way of AP
In a 2015 plea settlement, Francis, the Malaysian proprietor of a boat servicing corporate in Southeast Asia, known seven Military officers who had authorized bribes and said paying off officers with loads of hundreds in money, in addition to luxurious items price tens of millions.
He equipped them with prostitutes and Cuban cigars, luxurious trip, Spanish suckling pigs and Kobe pork. Officers won spa therapies, top-shelf alcohol, dressmaker purses, leather-based items, dressmaker furnishings, watches, fountain pens, decorative swords and hand-crafted send fashions, in keeping with court docket paperwork.In change, officials gave him labeled knowledge or even redirected army vessels to profitable ports for his Singapore-based send servicing corporate. Francis, in keeping with prosecutors, overcharged the U.S. army through $35 million for his corporate’s products and services.
Over 30 Military officials and contractors have both been convicted or pleaded to blame to fees associated with Francis’ products and services.On Tuesday, U.S. District Pass judgement on Janis L. Sammartino sentenced Francis to a 164-month sentence for bribery and fraud and 16 months for failing to seem, to be served consecutively.”Leonard Francis coated his wallet with taxpayer bucks whilst undermining the integrity of U.S. Naval forces,” stated U.S. Legal professional Tara McGrath in a observation. “The have an effect on of his deceit and manipulation can be lengthy felt, however justice has been served these days.”Francis, 60, used to be to start with arrested in San Diego on September 16, 2013, and remained in pretrial custody till December 18, 2017, when the court docket granted his request for free up pending sentencing because of a scientific situation, the Division of Justice stated. Francis served 4 years and 3 months in custody sooner than he used to be launched on bond and ordered into area arrest. He remained on bond beneath the supervision of U.S. Pretrial Services and products for nearly 5 years, from December 17, 2017, till he escaped.
“Mr. Francis’ sentencing brings closure to an expansive fraud scheme that he perpetrated towards the U.S. Military with the help of quite a lot of Military officers. This fraud conspiracy in the end value the American taxpayer tens of millions of greenbacks and weakened the general public’s agree with in a few of our Military’s senior leaders,” Kelly P. Mayo, the director of the U.S. Division of Protection Workplace of Inspector Normal stated in a information free up on Tuesday.
Extra from CBS Information
Elias Lopez
Elias Lopez is a senior editor at CBSNews.com. He covers quite a lot of information occasions and works with newshounds on creating tales in politics, world information and extra.
