'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Leonard Glenn Francis, the mastermind behind the infamous 'Fat Leonard' military corruption scheme, escaped from house arrest on Sunday, September 4, 2022, after removing his GPS tracker ankle bracelet. Federal authorities confirmed the Malaysian national's prison break and said that he was on the run from the law.
In 2013, contractor Leonard Glenn Francis aka 'Fat Leonard', was arrested from his San Diego hotel room for offering $500,000 in bribes to Navy officers. In 2015, he pleaded guilty.
Francis' escape came just weeks prior to his sentencing. Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Omar Castillo informed KFMB-TV that his San Diego residence was found empty by law enforcement officers who arrived for a welfare check. However, the location monitoring device was recovered.
A high-profile search for the conman is being conducted by the San Diego Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
According to the San Diego Union Tribune, Pretrial Services, the federal agency tasked with monitoring Francis was alerted to something unusual at the Torrey Highlands house. Castillo told the media outlet:
"He was planning this out, that’s for sure."
The CBS San Diego affiliate further reported that worldwide alerts have been issued, and law enforcement agencies are on the lookout for Francis, with strict focus on airports and border checkpoints. However, US officials conceded that the wanted man could really be anywhere without their knowledge.
Defense Attorney Devin Burstein refused to comment on the disappearance of 'Fat Leonard'.
Who is 'Fat Leonard'? Case explored in the wake of his escape
In 2013, contractor Leonard Glenn Francis, dubbed "Fat Leonard," was arrested in a San Diego hotel room for offering $500,000 in bribes to Navy officers. Later, in 2015, he pleaded guilty to overcharging the navy and defrauding the US military of nearly $35 million.
Francis, the owner of Glenn Defense Marine Asia, a military contracting company in Singapore, was charged with providing services, treating Navy officers to lavish meals, and bribing them with thousands of dollars to obtain classified information. . In exchange, Navy officers redirected their military vessels to specific ports where he could charge fictitious tariffs and fees via his company, Glenn Defense Marine Asia.
Owing to his poor health conditions, 'Fat Leonard' remained under house arrest in his lavish San Diego residence until Sunday. In addition to him, four navy officers were found guilty, and 29 people, including both naval officials and contractors, pleaded guilty, according to US media.
Francis' trial was set to begin in just a few weeks.
Meanwhile, an interesting development in the story is that the neighbors of Leonard Glenn Francis, aka 'Fat Leonard', noticed a couple of U-Haul moving trucks coming to and from his San Diego house. They, however, forgot to report this suspicious activity to the authorities, according to KFMB-TV.
