SAN DIEGO (CNS) – Nearly a decade after pleading guilty to bribing Navy officials in order to benefit his ship husbanding company, foreign defense contractor Leonard Glenn “Fat Leonard” Francis is set to be sentenced Tuesday in San Diego.
Francis’ sentencing follows a controversial trial of five Navy officers, guilty pleas from dozens of other defendants, and Francis’ own flight from the country while on house arrest.
Prosecutors are seeking a prison term of 11 years and eight months for Francis, who admitted giving free meals, hotel rooms, prostitutes, and other gifts to Naval officials, who in turn helped steer Navy ships to ports Francis controlled. Francis’ company, Glenn Defense Marine Asia, then charged the Navy over $35 million for the company’s services, prosecutors said.
His sentence from U.S. District Judge Janis Sammartino — who has presided over the entirety of the case — will cover his role in the bribery scheme, as well as his escape from San Diego. Francis is expected to plead guilty on Tuesday to a federal count of failure to appear in court.