A Malaysian defence contractor on the centre of one of many greatest bribery scandals in United States navy historical past is on the run after fleeing his dwelling in California, three weeks earlier than he confronted sentencing, the US Marshals Service has stated.

US Marshals in San Diego tweeted a “needed” discover on Wednesday for Leonard Glenn Francis — popularly referred to as “Fats Leonard” — who was scheduled to be sentenced later this month after pleading responsible in 2015 to his position in a $35m bribery case involving senior US Navy officers.

The San Diego Fugitive Activity Pressure is “looking out” for Francis for violating the situations of his pre-trial launch after he lower off his GPS ankle monitor and fled his dwelling.

Legislation enforcement officers went to Francis’s dwelling in San Diego after receiving an alert on Sunday that the GPS monitor Francis had worn whereas in dwelling confinement was being tampered with.

The San Diego Fugitive Activity Pressure is looking for Leonard Francis a.ok.a. “Fats Leonard”. Francis, who was on dwelling confinement and being monitored by U.S. Pretrial Providers, lower off his GPS bracelet and left his dwelling. If in case you have any data please name 877-926-8332. pic.twitter.com/LFcsjDy5qn

— USMS San Diego (@USMSSanDiego) September 6, 2022

“After an intensive examine of the residence, officers had been unable to find Francis. Officers had been capable of find the GPS ankle monitor that had been lower off. His present whereabouts are unknown,” the Marshals Service stated in a press release on Tuesday.

Francis was scheduled to be sentenced on September 22 after working with US prosecutors for years, resulting in dozens of convictions within the huge navy contract bribery case.

4 Navy officers have been discovered responsible to date, whereas one other 29 folks, together with naval officers, contractors and Francis himself, have pleaded responsible, in response to US media studies.

Mexico or Asia?

Practically a dozen US regulation enforcement businesses at the moment are looking for Francis.

However officers acknowledged he could already be in Mexico, and presumably on his method again to Asia.

Practically a decade in the past, Francis was arrested in a San Diego lodge as a part of a federal sting operation. Investigators say he and his firm, the Singapore-based Glenn Protection Marine Asia, cheated the Navy out of greater than $35m by shopping for off dozens of high-ranking Navy officers with booze, intercourse, lavish events and different presents.

In alternate, the officers, together with the primary active-duty US admiral to be convicted of a federal crime, hid the scheme during which Francis would overcharge the US Navy for supplying ships or cost for faux providers at ports he managed in Southeast Asia.

The case, which delved into salacious particulars about US service members dishonest on their wives and searching for out intercourse employees, was a humiliation to the Pentagon.

It was prosecuted by the US legal professional’s workplace, which provided an unbiased authority from the navy justice system. Prices had been ultimately introduced towards greater than 30 folks.

The primary to be convicted within the case was John Beliveau II, a supervisor within the US Naval Prison Investigative Service (NCIS), who pleaded responsible in 2012 to conspiracy and bribery expenses.

In response to the plea, Beliveau gave Francis recommendation on how one can thwart an NCIS investigation towards him, leaked the names of witnesses, and shared lots of of pages of confidential NCIS information with him.

In alternate, Beliveau acquired journey, dinners and lodge prices price hundreds of {dollars} throughout luxurious journeys to Singapore, the Philippines, and Thailand, at the very least 5 envelopes of money, and the providers of intercourse employees, the doc stated.

Beliveau was sentenced to 12 years in jail in 2016 and ordered to pay $20m in restitution to the Navy.

“Beliveau tarnished his NCIS badge and bought delicate regulation enforcement data for envelopes of money, luxurious journey and tawdry leisure,” the US Justice Division’s Assistant Lawyer Normal Leslie R Caldwell stated on the time.

“John Beliveau’s deceit was a devastating blow to the US Navy and in the end the nation that he was sworn to guard,” US Lawyer Laura E Duffy of the Southern District of California added.

Flight danger

4 years in the past, US District Court docket Decide Janis Sammartino feared Francis would possibly abscond when she turned down his lawyer’s request to permit him to be underneath home arrest with out round the clock safety guards watching the ailing defence contractor.

On the time, Francis was cooperating with prosecutors as they pursued expenses towards dozens of Navy officers who accepted bribes.

When requested in regards to the daring escape, the fugitive’s lawyer, Devin Burstein, who had pushed for extra leniency for his shopper, stated: “Right now, I’ve no remark, sorry.”

Decide Sammartino repeatedly maintained that Francis, who was ill and wanted medical care, might solely stay underneath home arrest if non-public safety guards had been on web site.

At one level, she expressed concern that if he had been to flee and ended up “again in Malaysia for no matter purpose,” her identify would come up if anybody requested “who let any individual do that with none safety,” in response to a transcript of a closed-door listening to in February 2018 that was unsealed in January.

It was unclear if round the clock safety guards had been nonetheless in place over the weekend when Francis lower off his GPS monitor and fled.

Supervisory Deputy US Marshal Omar Castillo stated his officers discovered no safety officers on the dwelling after they arrived on Sunday afternoon, almost seven hours after Francis is believed to have eliminated his ankle monitor with heavy scissors.

Castillo stated neighbours reported seeing U-Haul vans coming and going from Francis’s dwelling one or two days earlier than the escape.

The house is a few 40-minute drive from the Mexican border, the place automobiles stream into Tijuana and are solely stopped randomly.

Francis could also be exhausting to catch, given his wealth and huge worldwide connections, stated Jason Forge, a former federal prosecutor in San Diego who has labored on a number of high-profile corruption instances.

“He doesn’t strike me as the kind of particular person underneath these circumstances to make a spontaneous resolution,” Forge stated.

“I’m assuming this implies he has deliberate issues out and he has the wherewithal to take action. He’ll most likely be a free fowl for some time.”