The fugitive nicknamed “Fat Leonard”, who masterminded a massive, multi-million dollar naval bribery scandal, is seeking asylum in Venezuela, where he was caught a week ago After spending 16 days on the lamb.
Leonard Glen Francis slipped from federal officials Cutting off his GPS monitor while awaiting sentencing in San Diego on September 4.
According to Interpol in Venezuela, an international search of more than two weeks for the Malaysian defense contractor ended on September 20, when he was caught at Caracas airport as he prepared to fly to Russia.
A law-enforcement official said Francis has since sought asylum in the South American country.
By law, the Venezuelan government must consider the fugitive’s request.
Venezuela and the US have an extradition agreement, although the Biden administration does not officially recognize the socialist government of President Nicolas Maduro, has no embassy in Venezuela and has imposed crushing sanctions on the country.
US officials have 30 days to make a formal request for Francis’ extradition.
Francis owned the Singapore-based Glen Defense Marine Asia Ltd, or GDMA, which supplied food, water and fuel to the ships for decades.
He has admitted that he, with the help of dozens of naval officers, billed the US Navy more than $35 million, for which he bribed prostitutes, Kobe beef, cigars and a total of $500,000 in cash, so that they could sail their ships south. in East Asia to direct at the controlled Francis ports in the Pacific. ,
Francis, dubbed “Fat Leonard” for his 350-pound frame and his larger-than-life personality to match, pleaded guilty in 2015 to federal charges and faces up to 25 years in prison.
While awaiting sentencing, he was imprisoned in San Diego in 2018 to receive medical care because he cooperated with prosecutors, which led to the conviction of 33 of the 34 defendants – 17 of them Navy officers. .
US and Venezuelan officials said that with his sentencing hearing on September 22, Francis cut off his ankle monitor, fled to Mexico and then to Cuba before arriving in Venezuela.
He was the subject of a search by 10 US agencies and was offered a $40,000 prize for his arrest.
post with wires