United States Attorney Tara K. McGrath | U.S. Department of Justice
Leonard Glenn Francis has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for orchestrating a major bribery and fraud scheme against the U.S. Navy. The sentence, delivered by U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino, includes a restitution payment of $20 million to the Navy, a $150,000 fine, and the forfeiture of $35 million in illicit gains.
Francis initially pled guilty in 2015 to charges related to bribery and fraud. His cooperation with authorities was taken into account during sentencing. However, his escape from house arrest in 2022 led to additional charges for failing to appear at his original sentencing hearing. After cutting off his GPS monitor, Francis fled through Mexico and Cuba before being apprehended in Venezuela on December 20, 2023.
"Leonard Francis lined his pockets with taxpayer dollars while undermining the integrity of U.S. Naval forces," stated U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. "The impact of his deceit and manipulation will be long felt, but justice has been served today."
Francis was arrested on September 16, 2013, in San Diego and spent over four years in pretrial custody before being released due to health issues. He remained under supervision until fleeing the country last year.
The court calculated that Francis has already served approximately six years and four months of his sentence, including time detained abroad at the request of U.S. authorities.
Francis's company, Glenn Defense Marine Asia (GDMA), provided services to Navy ships across Asia-Pacific ports and was also implicated in fraudulent activities amounting to tens of millions of dollars by inflating bills for various services such as fuel and tugboats.
The company's five-year probation sentence includes a $36 million fine.
According to the government’s sentencing memo, Francis’s actions caused significant damage over many years through bribery within the Navy ranks. Nonetheless, he provided extensive cooperation after being caught which aided investigations significantly.
“Mr. Francis’ sentencing brings closure to an expansive fraud scheme that he perpetrated against the U.S. Navy with assistance from various Navy officials,” commented Kelly P. Mayo from the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS). “This fraud conspiracy ultimately cost the American taxpayer millions of dollars."
NCIS Director Omar Lopez added: “Leonard Francis put the safety of our warfighters and Department of Navy assets at risk.”
