Navy officers' felony convictions overturned in 'Fat Leonard' case
The felony convictions of four Navy officers involved in the "Fat Leonard" bribery case were vacated due to prosecutorial misconduct. The officers were allowed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor and pay a $100 fine each. The misconduct was deemed "outrageous" by the judge, and the prosecutor admitted to serious issues. The officers had been convicted of accepting bribes from defense contractor Leonard Francis and his company. Defense attorneys had filed hundreds of pages outlining misconduct during the trial. Several other defendants in the case are awaiting sentencing, and it is unclear if this development will impact their cases.