'Fat Leonard' Sentenced to 15 Years for Navy Bribery Scandal

Leonard "Fat Leonard" Francis, a former military defense contractor, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for orchestrating a massive bribery scheme involving U.S. Navy officers. The scheme, which lasted over a decade, led to the conviction of nearly two dozen Navy officials and others. Francis, who fled the U.S. before his original sentencing in 2022, was captured in Venezuela and returned to the U.S. He was ordered to pay $20 million in restitution and forfeit $35 million in illegal proceeds. The case is one of the largest bribery investigations in U.S. military history.