Navy officers cleared of felony charges in 'Fat Leonard' scandal
The felony convictions of four former Navy officers involved in the "Fat Leonard" bribery scandal have been vacated due to allegations of prosecutorial misconduct. U.S. District Judge Janis Sammartino allowed the officers to plead guilty to a misdemeanor and pay a $100 fine each. The lead federal prosecutor was found to have committed "flagrant misconduct" by withholding information from defense lawyers. The officers had been convicted of accepting bribes from defense contractor Leonard Francis and his company. The case, which exposed salacious details about service members cheating on their spouses, has been an embarrassment to the Pentagon.