Leonard Glenn Francis is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty to bribery and conspiracy charges more than nine years ago.
Francis admitted to bribing scores of U.S. Navy officials — including ship captains, admirals and at least one Naval Criminal Investigative Service agent — in a fraud scheme going back to the 1990s. He was lured to San Diego by law enforcement and arrested at a downtown hotel in September 2013.
Francis turned over reams of evidence to prosecutors including computers, cell phones, emails, hotel receipts and photographs. Over five years he met with investigators more than 50 times, according to a memo filed by prosecutors last month.
Prosecutors are recommending a sentence of 140 months — just under 12 years. After time served, Francis is facing another six years behind bars.
Francis still faces a charge related to his 2022 escape to Venezuela from a supervised medical furlough, but in a sentencing memo filed Oct. 15, the U.S. Attorneys Office said Francis' level of cooperation warrants a shorter sentence.
"Perhaps a harsher sentence would be justified ... But the substantial assistance provided by Francis cannot be ignored, and the degree and significance of his cooperation cannot be overstated regardless of what one thinks of the individual or his underlying criminal conduct," the memo says.
More than 30 people faced federal charges in connection to the case. Four people were court-martialed by the Navy and four more received administrative punishment. Several senior officers, including captains and admirals, were censured by the service.
