Fat Leonard Sentenced to 15 Years for U.S. Navy Bribery and Fraud

Nine years after his first guilty plea and 11 years after he was first arrested, Leonard Francis, aka “Fat Leonard” pleaded guilty for the second time in his now notorious bribery and fraud scheme that had wide-reaching and lasting repercussions on the U.S. Navy. The case made frequent headlines as it grew to involve top-ranking officers as well as sailors in the U.S. Navy and salacious reports of the depth of Francis’ efforts to win help from many individuals.

U.S. District Judge Janis Sammartino handed down the sentence bringing to a close a case prosecutors called unprecedented in the depth and scope of the bribery scheme. The sentencing had been delayed for two years because, in a final act, Francis attempted to flee the United States on the eve of his prior sentencing date. He cut off his ankle monitors while under house arrest and fled first to Mexico. He was captured weeks later in Venezuela as he was attempting to board a flight bound for Russia. In a rare moment of cooperation, Venezuela detained him and in December 2023 returned him to the United States.

After two guilty pleas, including for failing to appear for his prior sentencing date, Leonard Francis, now age 60 and still listed as a Malaysian citizen living in Singapore, was sentenced to a total of 180 months (15 years) which consists of 164 months on the bribery and fraud charges and an additional 16 months for failing to appear. The judge however gave him credit for 2,333 days served between 2013 and 2017 as well as time spent in custody in Venezuela. Francis has an estimated 8.5 years remaining on his sentence.

Francis was also ordered to pay $20 million in restitution to the U.S. Navy and forfeit an additional $35 million in “ill-gotten” grains from his crimes. The court also imposed a $150,000 fine on Francis while his company GDMA was ordered to pay a $36 million fine. GDMA was also sentenced to five years probation.

“Mr. Francis’ sentencing brings closure to an expansive fraud scheme that he perpetrated against the U.S. Navy with assistance from various Navy officials,” said Kelly P. Mayo, the Director of the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS). “This fraud conspiracy ultimately cost the American taxpayer millions of dollars and weakened the public’s trust in some of our Navy’s senior leaders. Mr. Francis’ actions not only degraded the 7th Fleet’s readiness but shook the fleet’s trust in its leadership who furthered his corrupt practices.”

Francis was enticed to travel to San Diego in September 2013 where he was arrested and quickly admitted to a multi-year plot while provided detailed information about hundreds of sailors, from petty officers to admirals, and turned over financial records, photographs, receipts, and Navy contracting documents. 

In 2015 in his first sentencing, Francis admitted to giving and spending millions of dollars in bribes including more than a half million dollars in cash. Today, prosecutors also cited hundreds of thousands of dollars for prostitutes, and hundreds of thousands of dollars for travel including luxury hotels, spas, and first class airfares. Francis also spent lavishly on entertainment and they released a long list of luxury gifts provided to Navy personnel. They said he gave everything from watches and pens to Kobe beef, Spanish suckling pigs, and even Cuban cigars and hand-made ship models.

The long-running investigation, supported by Francis reached widely within the fleet and operations and included the conviction of former Navy officers. Four convictions however were later vacated due to a finding of “prosecutorial misconduct” and “flagrant misconduct” including withholding information from defense lawyers. The four senior officers ultimately pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and each paid a $100 fine.