Page 5 - Devin Burstein News Today

Leonard Francis, contractor in US navy’s worst corruption scandal, was able not only to escape but also rented vans to load up his possessions

Leonard Glenn Francis, also known as "Fat Leonard" for his overshadowing frame, fled Sunday while under house arrest in San Diego, where he was awaiting a Sept. 22 hearing.

Leonard Glenn Francis, who is known as Fat Leonard, was less than three weeks away from his sentencing date when he cut off his GPS anklet and left his home in San Diego, the authorities said.

The escape of the Malaysian defense contractor at the center of one of the Navy's biggest corruption scandals is as stunning and brazen as the case itself

Leonard Francis, who has been under house arrest in San Diego for years, cut off his GPS monitoring bracelet on Sunday

Leonard Glenn Francis pleaded guilty in 2015 to bribing Navy officials. Months before he is set to testify, he spoke at length on a podcast about his life.

With the last episode expected to air this week and trial looming, defense attorneys for the naval officers declined to comment on the podcast or any of the statements made by Leonard Glenn Francis, who pleaded guilty in 2015 and has yet to be sentenced. The U.S. attorney’s office also declined to comment.

'Everybody was in my pocket' brags Leonard Francis as he prepares to testify against naval officers in the first criminal trial to come out of his corruption scandal

After criticism of pardons, Trump uses them on allies Michael Kranish, The Washington Post Dec. 23, 2020 FacebookTwitterEmail As Donald Trump campaigned for the presidency in 2016, his vow to "drain the swamp" included outrage at past use of presidential pardons. Citing the way President Bill Clinton had pardoned a fugitive financier during his last week in office, Trump fumed, "People couldnt believe it." Yet now, in the closing days of his term, Trump has added to his portfolio of pardons an...

Trump vowed to drain the swamp. Then he granted clemency to three former congressmen convicted of federal crimes. Michael Kranish Replay Video UP NEXT As Donald Trump campaigned for the presidency in 2016, his vow to “drain the swamp” included outrage at past use of presidential pardons. Citing the way President Bill Clinton had pardoned a fugitive financier during his last week in office, Trump fumed, “People couldn’t believe it.” Yet now, in the closing days of...