A navy contractor generally known as “Fats Leonard,” who lower off his ankle bracelet and fled after pleading responsible in a serious U.S. Navy corruption scandal, was apprehended in Venezuela, authorities stated Wednesday.
Leonard Glenn Francis, who was on home arrest in San Diego and weeks away from sentencing, eliminated his GPS tracker Sept. 4, in accordance with the U.S. Marshals Service. Francis had pleaded responsible in 2015 to bribing Navy officers in a $35 million scandal, the Marshals stated.
Francis was captured by Venezuelan authorities, who had been made conscious that he was on the run by Interpol, whereas trying to board a aircraft certain for an additional international nation, in accordance with a U.S. Marshals spokesperson.
He’ll stay in Venezuelan custody whereas U.S. Marshals and different federal authorities work out particulars about his extradition to the U.S.
Francis was arrested in 2013. He pleaded responsible to providing $500,000 in bribes to Navy officers, who in alternate shared categorized data with him and redirected navy vessels to ports that might be useful for his Singapore-based ship servicing firm.
Prosecutors say Francis and his agency overcharged the U.S. navy greater than $35 million.
The previous navy contractor had been beneath home arrest since no less than 2018.
Previous to his disappearance, the U.S. Pretrial Companies, the federal company in control of monitoring his residence confinement, obtained an alert that his GPS ankle monitor was being tampered with. Pretrial Companies then notified the U.S. Marshals Service concerning the GPS alert, the company stated.
Members of the San Diego Fugitive Process Drive went to Francis’ residence and, after saying themselves, went into his residence by means of an unlocked door, the Marshals Service stated. Officers have been unable to find Francis, however discovered his GPS ankle monitor that had been lower off, the marshals stated.
Francis’ neighbors instructed U.S. marshals that a number of U-Haul vans had been out and in of the home all week, stated Omar Castillo, supervisory deputy U.S. Marshal, The San Diego Union Tribune reported.
It appeared clear Francis had been planning his escape for a while, Castillo stated.
