![]() But that high-octane pace may have been covering an emptiness in his life. He would show up on piers in a fleet of new H2 Hummers and squire away favored Navy personnel to an evening of party and pleasure.īeneath the glitz was a man who was once imprisoned in Singapore on weapons charges and sentenced to a caning, who was known by some as “the Don of the Southeast” and had a hair-trigger temper.Īlways the life of the party, the records show Francis was constantly in contact with people. He had a fleet of luxury cars, including two Rolls-Royces and an Austin-Healey. ![]() He lived in a 40,000-square-foot house in Singapore with a train in the backyard for his children that was bigger than the trains at Disneyland. Francis said he would never hire them because, ironically, they were corrupt. He badmouthed some Navy officers who had provided him with internal information in exchange for gifts and who later asked for jobs with GDMA. He told investigators he was so upset that he put several Navy contracting officials who were making life hard for him under surveillance, taking photographs of them at their homes, when they went shopping or to work. But inside GDMA he was secretive, a micromanager who personally signed off on all checks and purchase orders.Įager to flatter Navy officers and boast about his business, Francis could be vindictive toward Navy personnel who regularly questioned the prices GDMA charged. Another 10 criminal intelligence reports were produced and distributed, but nothing halted the fraud.įor years, Francis was an affable, smiling presence on piers in Asian ports, at change-of-command ceremonies and annual Navy balls. From 2004 to 2012, there were 14 separate investigations launched that stemmed from complaints about GDMA’s business practices, but most were closed. And the records also show that many in the Navy were aware of his shady reputation, suspicious of his business practices, and gave him a wide berth.īut until his arrest, Navy investigators did not lay a hand on him - though they had plenty of chances. He was a master at manipulating people and feeding their vices. They reveal a man with a personality that could be charming one minute and intimidating the next, who ceaselessly flattered Navy officers while harboring a conviction that the service he had conned was biased against him. ![]() The Union-Tribune reviewed a huge trove of documents assembled by the government as part of its sprawling prosecution that provide granular details on the investigation into the far-flung, decades-long bribery and fraud scheme that beset the Navy. Yet much of the investigation that led to that arrest nearly a decade ago has not been known - until now. Francis’ girth - he was nearly 6 feet 4 inches and weighed more than 350 pounds when he was arrested but at one time weighed far more - earned him the nickname “Fat Leonard” and gave the scandal an instantly recognizable title. ![]() What’s happened since is well known: Some 32 people, including Navy officials, civilian employees and defense contractors, were convicted or pleaded guilty to bribery and other crimes, and hundreds more faced internal Navy discipline. He was under arrest, and the worst corruption scandal in Navy history was about to go public. Seconds later, as Francis went to another room in the suite, other agents with guns drawn burst in and ordered him to the carpeted floor of the gleaming hotel overlooking San Diego Bay. He handed his business card to the two agents. His final act as a free man was a routine one for any businessman, and one that the then-48-year-old had done countless times. ![]()
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