'Fat Leonard' faces sentencing in Navy bribery scandal

Leonard Glenn Francis, aka "Fat Leonard," volition beryllium sentenced adjacent week aft his conviction, melodramatic flight from custody and recapture successful 1 of the biggest bribery and corruption scandals successful U.S. subject history. 

Francis is owed successful U.S. District Court successful San Diego connected Tuesday, 11 years aft his archetypal apprehension and 2 years aft helium chopped disconnected his ankle show and fled to Venezuela. He returned to U.S. custody successful December aft his apprehension by Venezuelan authorities and a captive swap betwixt the 2 countries. 

Under a plea agreement, the 6'3", 350-pound Malaysian erstwhile defence contractor, who bribed hundreds of Navy officers for classified accusation for much than 20 years, could spot little than a twelvemonth of jailhouse time, tribunal documents show. 

The statement comes aft "Fat Leonard" admitted to defrauding the U.S. authorities and American taxpayers retired of astatine slightest $35 cardinal dollars until helium was caught successful a sting cognition successful 2013. Following his arrest, astir 1,000 Navy officers came nether scrutiny, including 91 admirals. 

‘FAT LEONARD’ CAPTURED; NAVY CORRUPTION SCANDAL MASTERMIND NABBED IN VENEZUELA AFTER WEEKS ON THE RUN

Leonard Glenn Francis, aka "Fat Leonard," pleaded blameworthy to bribery and fraud charges successful 1 of the largest corruption scandals successful U.S. subject history.  (U.S. Marshal Service)

Federal prosecutors brought criminal charges against 34 defendants, 33 of whom were convicted aft Francis provided accusation to authorities portion successful U.S. custody. Francis could beryllium sentenced to a maximum of 22 years successful situation for his crimes, but the Department of Justice has sought a overmuch lighter condemnation successful airy of his cooperation, tribunal documents show. 

"Perhaps a harsher condemnation would beryllium justified fixed Francis’s egregious and prolonged transgression conduct, arsenic good arsenic his usurpation of the Court’s spot with respect to his merchandise connected aesculapian furlough. But the important assistance provided by Francis cannot beryllium ignored, and the grade and value of his practice cannot beryllium overstated careless of what 1 thinks of the idiosyncratic oregon his underlying transgression conduct," U.S. Attorney Tara K. McGrath wrote.  

Francis was arrested successful a San Diego edifice astir a decennary agone arsenic portion of a national sting operation. Investigators accidental helium bilked the U.S. subject retired of much than $35 cardinal by buying disconnected dozens of top-ranking Navy officers with booze, sex, lavish parties and different gifts.

‘FAT LEONARD’ CUTS ANKLE MONITOR WEEKS BEFORE SENTENCING IN $35 MILLION US NAVY CORRUPTION SCANDAL

Another undated photograph of Leonard Glenn Francis. (Credit: courtesy Glenn Defense Marine Asia)

The ungraded led to the condemnation and sentencing of astir 2 twelve Navy officials, defence contractors and others connected assorted fraud and corruption charges. Investigators accidental that Francis, who owned and operated his family’s ship-servicing business, abused his presumption arsenic a cardinal interaction for U.S. Navy shops astatine ports crossed Asia, wooing naval officers with Kobe beef, costly cigars, performance tickets and chaotic enactment parties astatine luxury hotels from Thailand to the Philippines.

He pleaded blameworthy to bribery and fraud charges successful 2015 and was placed nether location apprehension successful San Diego with a GPS show and information guards.

But portion awaiting sentencing, Francis slipped retired of his ankle show and disappeared. 

US SWAPS MADURO ALLY WITH VENEZUELA FOR 10 AMERICANS, INCLUDING ‘FAT LEONARD’

Undated photograph of Leonard Glenn Francis, proprietor of the Singapore-based maritime services steadfast Glenn Defense Marine Asia. (Credit: NCIS-DCIS lawsuit files)

He failed to respond to messages and knocks astatine his doorway from national officers who noticed that his show had gone offline. His location was recovered bare aft constabulary conducted a payment cheque that afternoon. 

"He was readying this out, that's for sure," U.S. Marshal Omar Castillo told the San Diego Union-Tribune astatine the time, adding that neighbors said they had seen a U-Haul being loaded up successful the weeks anterior to his escape. 

The U.S. Marshals had offered a $40,000 reward for accusation starring to his capture.

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Francis was apprehended by Venezuelan authorities, who had been advised by Interpol that helium was a wanted man. Venezuelan officials said helium intended to scope Russia. 

The Biden medication secured Francis' extradition and the merchandise of 10 different detainees by Venezuela successful speech for Alex Saab, a Columbian-born businessman and adjacent state of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who had been charged successful the U.S. successful a wealth laundering case, the Associated Press reported. 

Fox News Digital's Liz Friden, Jennifer Griffin, Brie Stimson and the Associated Press contributed to this report.