‘Fat Leonard,’ Navy contractor behind one of the military’s biggest scandals, sentenced to 15 years

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Former military defense contractor Leonard “Fat Leonard” Francis was sentenced Tuesday to 15 years in prison for masterminding a decade-long bribery scheme that swept up dozens of U.S. Navy officers, federal prosecutors said.

U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino also ordered Francis to pay $20 million in restitution to the Navy and a $150,000 fine, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He was also ordered to forfeit $35 million in “ill-gotten proceeds from his crimes,” the statement said.

Prosecutors said the sentence results from Leonard’s first guilty plea in 2015 concerning bribery and fraud, his extensive cooperation with the government since then, and another guilty plea Tuesday for failing to appear for his original sentencing hearing in 2022.