Leonard Glenn Francis, higher referred to as “Fats Leonard,” is a 6 toes, 3 inch tall, 350 pound former Malaysian protection contractor who bribed masses of Military officials for labeled data for greater than twenty years. He ultimately defrauded the U.S. executive and American taxpayers out of no less than $35 million bucks till he used to be stuck in a sting operation in 2013. After Francis’ arrest, just about 1,000 Military officials got here beneath scrutiny, together with 91 admirals. Federal prosecutors introduced legal fees towards 34 defendants.
In what has change into one of the crucial biggest scandals in U.S. Military historical past, Francis bribed the Military officials with lavish foods, dear presents and orgies in alternate for labeled nationwide safety data.
An undated photograph of Leonard Glenn Francis, proprietor of the Singapore-based maritime services and products company Glenn Protection Marine Asia. (NCIS-DCIS case recordsdata)
A San Diego pass judgement on on Tuesday disregarded the legal convictions for 5 army officials who admitted to accepting bribes from Francis. The convictions had been disregarded on the request of the federal government because of “prosecutorial mistakes.”
Lt. Cmdr. Stephen Shedd’s whole case used to be thrown out regardless of his in charge plea to bribery and receiving $105,000 in foods, services and products from prostitutes and resort bills. Marine Corps Col. Enrico DeGuzman and retired U.S. Military officials Donald Hornbeck, Robert Gorsuch and Jose Luis Sanchez every had their legal convictions disregarded and pleaded in charge to misdemeanor fees for disclosing labeled data on Tuesday.
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In step with felony filings, Tuesday’s dismissal didn’t imply the army officials didn’t devote the crimes for which they had been charged; the convictions had been disregarded as a result of data used to be withheld from the protection.
That is simply the newest sequence of setbacks in prosecuting the Fats Leonard case.
Washington Publish investigative reporter Craig Whitlock spent the decade documenting the Fats Leonard scandal and wrote the brand new ebook, “Fats Leonard: How One Guy Bribed, Bilked and Seduced the U.S. Military.”
Creator and Washington Publish investigative reporter Craig Whitlock’s new ebook on “Fats Leonard.”
“Leonard knew that he gave them a style of the top existence by way of taking them out to those fancy dinners. He arranged those intercourse events with prostitutes in Asia… by the point they authorised some of these extravagant or illicit presents, they had been in reality enthralled to him.” Whitlock mentioned.
Leonard Francis, left, hosted a $60,000 “Christmas Cheer” dinner birthday celebration in Hong Kong in 2004 for officials from the united statesAbraham Lincoln service strike team, together with then-Rear Admiral Douglas Crowder, the strike team commander. Francis additionally employed Santa Ninas, or Santa Ladies, to mingle along with his visitors. (NCIS-DCIS case recordsdata)
The officials regarded the opposite direction as he grossly overcharged on U.S. Military contracts for his Singapore-based maritime services and products provide corporate, Glenn Protection Marine Asia Ltd., which provided meals, water and gas to U.S. Military property.
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“They did not see Leonard as a danger. He used to be this large jolly, 350-pound Malaysian man who gave the impression very patriotic. 11:15 He wore U.S. flags on his necktie. 11:19 He had Lee Greenwood with God Bless the united statesA. on his mobile phone ringtone. 11:24 So they did not see him as a international possibility. In point of fact. They noticed him as any person who’s dependable to the U.S. Military, and albeit, they fell for it hook, line and sinker,” Whitlock mentioned.
An undated photograph of Leonard Glenn Francis. (Glenn Protection Marine Asia)
Francis would take pictures of the officials on the events he would throw with them smiling for the digicam. He used it as arduous proof to get what he sought after out of them.
“They actually known as him boss like he used to be their commanding officer as a result of he may just organize them round,” Whitlock mentioned. “Leonard did use this data as a hammer, with the intention to talk. He did not have to make use of it in any case, however simply the danger that he may just use it, he may just compel officials who had been his informants or moles to do what he sought after.”
Francis used to be lured to San Diego and used to be stuck in a sting operation in 2013. He pleaded in charge in 2015 to providing greater than $500,000 in money bribes to U.S. army officials and confronted as much as 25 years in jail.
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Francis’ bribing didn’t forestall when he used to be arrested. Later hospitalized and handled for most cancers, he satisfied the pass judgement on to let him move on area arrest to have a extra comfy restoration. In 2022, he bring to an end his GBS tracker and known as an Uber to flee area arrest. He ended up in Tijuana, Mexico, and ultimately made his strategy to Venezuela, the place he used to be captured and despatched again to the U.S. in a prisoner switch in December 2023.
Prosecutors are ready till Francis is sentenced to carry fees associated with his break out.
Whitlock instructed Fox maximum admirals and senior officials were given away with a slap at the wrist from the Military or not anything took place in any respect.
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“These kind of individuals who had been Leonard’s informants and moles mentioned all of them knew what they had been doing used to be flawed… however they simply frankly concept they might by no means get stuck,” Whitlock mentioned.
