Leonard Glenn Francis, also known as “Fat Leonard” is accused of bribing US Navy officers for information, some of it classified, about warship movements in the Far East.
The information on ship movements gave his company, Glenn Defense Marine Asia (GDMA), a big edge in bidding for multi-million-dollar contracts for “husbanding” ships in Asian ports – providing food and other supplies, transport and security for the ships in ports including Phuket.
When GDMA was husbanding the US Navy, a dozen or more warships a year would visit Phuket. Since the scandal broke that number has fallen to two or three a year.
When Navy investigations began into the bribery allegations, it is alleged that Francis also recruited spies in the Navy to keep him up to date on the investigations.
The bribes, it is alleged, took the form of cash, hotel rooms and holidays, and the services of prostitutes.
Several US Navy officers and two of Francis’ lieutenants have already pleaded guilty. But most of them knew only about their personal part in the scandal.
The last person to plead guilty was Cdr Jose Luis Sanchez, 42, who admitted on January 6 to taking bribes in return for tipping Francis off about investigations into overcharging by GDMA. He also admitted to briefing Francis on internal US Navy deliberations.
Two other officials, former Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Special Agent John Beliveau and Navy Petty Officer First Class Dan Layug, previously pleaded guilty in the case, as well as former GDMA executives Alex Wisidagama and Edmond Aruffo.
Francis’ decision to plead guilty suggests that he has made a deal with prosecutors to reveal all, a possibility that is likely to send a cold shiver down the spines of more naval personnel whose involvement has not yet been uncovered.
It may also shine light on the involvement – or lack of it – of two very senior officers: Vice-Admiral Ted Branch, director of Naval Intelligence, and Rear Admiral Bruce Loveless, director of intelligence operations. Both were suspended from their posts in November 2013.