‘Fat Leonard’ sentenced to 15 years in prison for bribery and fraud. Who is he?

“Fat Leonard” Francis, a former military defence contractor, was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Tuesday (Nov 5) by United States District Judge Janis Sammartino. According to federal prosecutors, Francis is the man behind a decade-long bribery scheme that involved several US Navy officers.

A statement from the US Attorneys' Office said that Francis was also ordered to pay $20 million in restitution to the Navy, and also a fine of $150,000. The court also ordered him to forfeit the $35 million he earned through the illegal activities, according to the statement.

The sentence stems from Leonard’s initial guilty plea in 2015 for bribery and fraud, ongoing cooperation with the government, and an additional guilty plea on Tuesday for skipping his original sentencing hearing in 2022 said the prosecutors, according to the Associated Press.

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Just before his hearing in September 2022, Francis removed his GPS monitor which he was wearing under house arrest and fled the country to Venezuela. He was arrested and brought back to the US in December 2023.

Francis is sentenced to spend more than 13 years in prison for fraud and bribery charges, with an additional 16 months for not appearing in court, to be served with the original charge.

In a statement, on Tuesday US Attorney Tara said, “Leonard Francis lined his pockets with taxpayer dollars while undermining the integrity of the U.S. Naval forces.” It added, ”The impact of his deceit and manipulation will be long felt, but justice has been served today.”

Leonard Francis is responsible for one of the biggest bribery in the history of the US military, which involved over two dozen Navy officials and defence contractors, who were charged and sentenced with several corruption and fraud charges, according to the Associated Press.

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Who is 'Fat Leonard'Francis?

Leonard Francis, an influential figure once weighing 350 pounds, owned the Singapore-based company Glenn Defense Marine Asia Ltd. (GDMA), which provided food, water, and fuel to ships. During that time, he bribed USNavy officers with luxury gifts, concert tickets, Kobe beef, and extravagant sex parties at high-end hotels. In return, these officers allowed him to overcharge for supplies or bill for fake services at several Southeast Asian ports he controlled. Some officers even rerouted ships to the ports where Francis could profit most.

In a federal sting operation in September 2013, Francis was brought to San Diego on false promises and then was arrested at a hotel. He pleaded guilty in 2015 and admitted that he was involved in offering over $500,000 cash bribes to USNavy officials and defence contractors.

He faced 25 years in prison. While waiting to be sentenced, he was hospitalised for his treatment of renal cancer and other medical problems. After getting discharged from the hospital, Francis was allowed to live under house arrest with security guards and a GPS monitor. But soon before his sentencing in 2022, he flew to Venezuela. He was arrested three weeks later in Venezuela.

Judge Sammartino ruled the previous year that the lead federal prosecutor in the officer’s case was involved in “flagrant misconduct” by not providing the information to defence lawyers, but it was not sufficient to dismiss the case.

(With inputs from agencies)