More than 60 admirals and hundreds of Navy officers are being investigated over their contact with Malaysian defense contractor ‘Fat Leonard’ who routinely bribed sailors with prostitutes, liquor and karaoke.
Leonard Glenn Francis, dubbed ‘Fat Leonard’ for his considerable 350lbs frame, was renowned for throwing extravagant parties which could last for days, according federal records.
Francis, who made a fortune supplying Navy vessels in ports all over the globe, had befriended dozens of admirals, bribing them with booze and girls in exchange for classified information to help his Singapore-based defense contract firm, records show.
Leonard Glenn Francis, dubbed ‘Fat Leonard’ (left and right) for his considerable 350lbs frame, was renowned for throwing extravagant parties for Naval officers, bribing them with booze and girls in exchange for classified information
The widespread corruption came to light after Francis was arrested in an international sting operation four years ago.
Since then, the Justice Department has charged 28 people, including two admirals, theWashington Post reports. But the Navy has now revealed that it is currently investigating 440 other active-duty and retired personnel – including 60 current and former admirals – over their potential ties to Fat Leonard and his company.
The ‘colossal bribery and fraud scandal’ is one of the biggest in Naval history.
An official said the Navy has concluded that 230 of those under review were not guilty of misconduct as they had little to no contact with Francis, or had attended a dinner but under extenuating circumstances.
David Kapaun, right, seen with Singaporean military officers at a 2001 reception. Kapaun has pleaded guilty to fraud for lying about his relationship with defense contractor ‘Fat Leonard’
So far, 14 Navy officials have pleaded guilty to either accepting bribes or making false statements, while another ten await trial. Francis and four of his senior executives have all pleaded guilty.
US Navy commander David Kapaun pleaded guilty to lying about his relationship with the Malaysian defense contractor earlier this year.
Kapaun said in court that he omitted Francis from a security clearance update form because he knew ‘I did have a past association with him that was unfavorable’.
He also didn’t disclose receiving dinners, hotel stays and prostitutes from Francis, said his defense attorney, Victor Bakke. ‘He played a minor role in the overall scheme that was conducted by Fat Leonard.
The allegations prompted Kapaun to resign earlier this year from his civilian position as deputy chief of staff for US Special Operations Command Pacific.
He was sentenced in September 2017 to 18 months in federal prison and $75,000 in fines and restitution.
Earlier this year, U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Robert Gilbeau was jailed for 18 months after admitting in 2016 that he lied to investigators when questioned over his relationship with Francis.
Fat Leonard’s company provided services such as trash and sewage removal, food, water, security and fuel to US Navy ships. The USS Nimitz (pictured) is one ship it serviced
Gilbeau admitted lying to investigators by saying he had never accepted gifts from the man which prosecutors claim included prostitutes and parties.
The 56-year-old confessed that when the pair met three times a year, Francis always picked up the tab. Gilbeau received gifts from Francis and met with him three times a year for extravagant dinners for at which Francis, a Malaysian citizen, always picked up the bill.
Gilbeau’s business relationship with Francis actually dated back to 1997, during which Francis plied Gilbeau with expensive gifts ranging from fine dining, luxury hotels and prostitutes, prosecutors said.
Gilbeau was in his mid-30s when he first met Francis in Bali, Indonesia, and the parties with prostitutes started right away, prosecutors said.
U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Robert Gilbeau was sentenced TO 18 months behind bars on Wednesday
In return, Gilbeau signed off on contracts for services such as removing waste from U.S. aircraft carriers at highly inflated prices, prosecutors said.
Francis was arrested in September 2013 on fraud and bribery charges. He faces up to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty in January to bribery and conspiracy charges, prosecutors said.
Francis has acknowledged bribing Navy officials with cash, prostitutes and other gifts in exchange for classified information to help his company, Singapore-based Glenn Defense Marine Asia.
The company provided services such as trash and sewage removal, food, water, security and fuel to US Navy ships, according to prosecutors. He’s awaiting sentencing.
Francis, 53, pleaded guilty in 2015 to bribing ‘scores’ of Navy officials and defrauding the service of more than $35 million.
But his overbilling of the Navy had been an open secret for years.
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) opened separate investigations into Glenn Defense in 2006 but found it slow going until they opened a full blown corruption inquiry in 2009.
Yet, Francis continued to mingle with some of the Navy’s top leaders including posing for a photo with Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert, the new chief of naval operations, and outgoing, Adm. Gary Roughead at a change-of-command ceremony at the Naval Academy in Annapolis in 2011.
The Navy would not confirm if either admiral was under investigation.
Gilbeau admitted lying to investigators by telling them he hadn’t received any gifts from Francis in June 2016 (above entering court)
Gilbeau was working on the USS Boxer in 1997 (above) when he became friendly with Francis
Greenert, who said he hadn’t been contacted by investigators, met the defense contractor in the late 1990s and attended at least three of Francis’ infamous dinners after he was promoted to vice admiral and took command of the fleet in 2003.
Greenert even sent Francis a holiday greeting card in 2005 featuring a sketch of the USS Blue Ridge, the 7th Fleet flagship, which the contractor had visited as a guest.
The admiral later thanked Francis for the ‘superb services’ his company provided to the Blue Ridge in a letter.
Greenert told The Post it was not unusual for commanders to send correspondence to contractors to acknowledge their ‘responsive and flexible’ service, adding he sent hundreds of official Christmas cards as the 7th Fleet commander.
Francis also spent time with Vice Adm. Michael Miller, then the academy superintendent, during his visit to the Naval Academy in 2011.
Miller, who later arranged for a personal tour of his official residence, said he had ‘no knowledge’ that Francis was under investigation at the time.
The Navy later rebuked Miller, who retired from the Navy in 2015, with a formal letter of censure for failing to adequately reimburse Francis for lavish dinners and other gifts he received from the contractor while in command of an aircraft carrier strike group in Asia.
‘Fat Leonard’ is being held in San Diego while he awaits sentencing, and has admitted to scamming the Navy out of $35million, though investigators suspect the total may have been much larger.
His firm did business with the Navy for 25 years.