THE Malaysian mastermind of the worst public corruption scandal in US Navy history that escaped house arrest two weeks ago has been apprehended in Venezuela.
NBC News reported that Leonard Glenn Francis was captured by Venezuelan authorities yesterday (Sept 21) as he was trying to board a plane bound for another country.
Francis (better known as “Fat Leonard” due to his girth) was apprehended at Simon Bolivar International Airport and will remain in Venezuelan custody while the US Marshals Service and other federal authorities iron out details of his extradition back to the US.
Interpol Venezuela director-general Carlos Garate Rondon was also quoted as saying that Francis had entered the country from Mexico with a stopover in Cuba, and was aiming to eventually fly to Russia.
On Sept 4, 2022, Francis absconded from his San Diego home where he was under house arrest for allegedly bribing US Navy officials for their influence and access to military intelligence – just three weeks away from being sentenced in the case.
The authorities monitoring Francis were alerted to an anomaly with his GPS monitoring bracelet, leading his attorneys to go and check on him as he has a history of health issues.
When the lawyers realised Francis was not answering their knocks or messages, they contacted the police, who eventually found the home empty – save for the sheared GPS bracelet.
Following his escape, the relevant US authorities launched a high-profile manhunt for Francis, with alerts placed at international borders and airports.
Bounty on his head
The US Marshals also put out a US$40,000 (RM179,840) bounty for information leading to the arrest of Leonard.
The US Marshals previously said they were certain Francis was planning his escape, pointing to neighbours who said they saw U-haul moving trucks going in and out of Francis’ home – where he was residing with his family – in the days leading up to his escape.
In 2013, Penang-born Francis was arrested in a San Diego hotel as part of a US federal sting.
In 2015, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to bribe and swindle the US Navy out of at least US$35 mil in overcharges. His military contracting firm – Glenn Defence Maritime Asia (GDMA) – has also admitted wrongdoing.
According to news reports, Francis earned millions through GDMA, operating out of Singapore, providing food, fuel and security to the US Navy, its Seventh Fleet in particular.
Due to health issues (including kidney cancer), Francis was released on medical furlough and was on house arrest since at least 2018.
His sentencing was put off for years as he assisted US prosecutors in building cases against several others involved in the scheme. To date, four others have been convicted.
With Francis’ usefulness to the US prosecutors seemingly reaching an end, Francis was slated to be charged with his own charges today. – Sept 22, 2022
Main photo credit: The Washington Post
