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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Guardian staff and agencies

‘Fat Leonard’, fugitive contractor in US navy’s worst corruption scandal, arrested in Venezuela

Fat Leonard Navy United States Leonard Francis Leonard Glenn Francis Venezuela Malaysia
A US flag on a navy amphibious assault ship
A US flag on a navy amphibious assault ship. Francis and his company are accused of overcharging the US military by almost $35m. Photograph: Michał Fludra/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock

A Malaysian defence contractor nicknamed “Fat Leonard” who orchestrated one of the largest bribery scandals in US military history has been arrested in Venezuela after fleeing before his sentencing, authorities say.

The international manhunt for Leonard Glenn Francis ended with his arrest by Venezuelan authorities on Tuesday morning at the Caracas airport as he was about to board an airplane for another country, the US Marshals Service said on Wednesday.

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