The Latest Breaking News from Janis Sammartino

Judge Halts Federal Scrutiny of $200 Transactions

The temporary restraining order allows time to challenge burdensome reporting requirement.

Reason · Apr 25, 2025

Judge dismisses felony convictions of 5 retired military officers in US Navy bribery case

A federal judge has dismissed the felony convictions of five retired military officers who had admitted to accepting bribes from a Malaysian contractor nicknamed “Fat Leonard” in one of the Navy’s biggest corruption cases

The Independent UK · May 21, 2024

'Fat Leonard,' a fugitive now facing extradition, was behind one of US military's biggest scandals

Convicted defense contractor Leonard “Fat Leonard” Francis is facing extradition to the United States as part of the Venezuelan prisoner swap

The Independent UK · Dec 20, 2023

Leonard Francis: How did big fish in Navy bribery case get away?

The big, jovial personality of the Malaysian defense contractor nicknamed “Fat Leonard” got him favors across Asia, where he became rich by wooing US Navy commanders with wild sex parties and luxury gifts

The Independent UK · Sep 8, 2022

Malaysian contractor flees ahead of US Navy scandal sentencing

‘Fat Leonard’ cut off GPS monitor and fled California home weeks ahead of sentencing in extensive US Navy bribery case.

Al Jazeera · Sep 7, 2022

U.S. authorities seek a defense contractor named Fat Leonard who fled house arrest

A Malaysian defense contractor at the center of one of the biggest bribery investigations in U.S. military history made an escape as stunning and brazen as the case itself.

WEKU · Sep 7, 2022

Fat Leonard's escape as stunning as his Navy bribery case

The escape of the Malaysian defense contractor at the center of one of the Navy's biggest corruption scandals is as stunning and brazen as the case itself

The Independent UK · Sep 7, 2022

‘Fat Leonard,’ set to finally be sentenced in long-running Navy bribery scheme, is on the lam

SAN DIEGO — The military contractor known as “Fat Leonard,” the mastermind behind the worst public corruption scandal in U.S. Navy history who was three weeks away from being sentenced in the case, is on the run.

Tribune News Service · Sep 6, 2022

Jury convicts four former Navy officers in 'Fat Leonard' bribery trial

A federal jury in San Diego convicted four of five former U.S. naval officers of conspiracy, bribery and fraud on Wednesday, capping a four-month long trial and a decade-long investigation of the worst corruption scandal in the history of the Navy.

Tribune News Service · Jun 30, 2022

'Fat Leonard' will not be a prosecution witness in Navy bribery trial

SAN DIEGO — Leonard Glenn Francis, the military contractor better known as "Fat Leonard," will not be called by the prosecution to testify against five former naval officers charged with accepting bribes from him, it was revealed in court Monday.

Tribune News Service · May 2, 2022