Thread: U.S. Navy Commander Pleads Guilty to Bribery Charges

A U.S. Navy commander charged with accepting paid travel, prostitutes and Lady Gaga concert tickets from a Malaysian defense contractor in exchange for classified information pleaded guilty on Thursday to federal corruption charges.

Commander Michael Vannak Khem Misiewicz, 48, appeared in U.S. District Court in San Diego to answer to charges of conspiracy to commit bribery and bribery of a public official stemming from his involvement in a scandal surrounding a contractor who serviced ships in the Navy's Pacific Fleet.

Misiewicz admitted to providing Malaysian businessman Leonard Francis, known to friends as "Fat Leonard," classified information worth millions of dollars. He was born in Cambodia during the Vietnam War and gained media attention for his rise to captain of a U.S. Navy destroyer.

The information he gave to Francis included ship movements and helping arrange visits by U.S. Navy vessels to ports where Francis' company, the Singapore-based Glenn Davis Marine Asia Ltd, had contracts to provide tugboats, security, fuel, waste removal and other services, prosecutors said.

According to an affidavit filed by a federal agent, Misiewicz sometimes worked to redirect ships to ports controlled by Glenn Defense Marine. In September 2011, for instance, the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis extended its stay at a Malaysian port run by Glenn Defense Marine, enabling the firm to bill the Navy an extra $250,000.

In exchange for such information and arrangements, Francis furnished Misiewicz with such gifts as travel, entertainment, luxury hotel stays and five tickets to a Lady Gaga concert in Thailand in May 2012, the complaint said.

"In exchange for luxury vacations, gifts and other expenses, Commander Misiewicz betrayed his oath, the men and women of the U.S. Navy, and American taxpayers by directing lucrative government contracts to his financial patron," Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell said in a statement.

Francis pleaded guilty to bribery in January 2015 and agreed to forfeit $35 million in ill-gotten gains. According to that plea agreement, Francis paid about $500,000 in bribes to Navy officials.

The complaint against Misiewicz described the two men as developing a close friendship in which Misiewicz referred to Francis by such terms as "Big Brother," "Big Bro" or "BB" and the defense contractor called him "Little Brother," "Little Bro" or "LB."

Misiewicz was formerly a deputy operations officer for the U.S. commander of the Seventh Fleet, which oversees operations over some 48 million square miles extending from Japan to Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean and from Vladivostok, Russia, to Australia.

He had been commanding officer of the USS Mustin, a forward-deployed guided-missile destroyer, before that assignment.

According to a 2010 U.S. Navy release, Misiewicz grew up near Phnom Penh during the Vietnam War and was adopted by an American woman shortly before the Khmer Rouge came to power in 1975.

Misiewicz’s wife has since filed for divorce.

U.S. Navy Commander Pleads Guilty to Bribery Charges

Lady Gaga tickets?...Heh...That was worth the risk...

Originally Posted by PeeCoffee

she wasn't invited to enjoy any of the bennies.

Prolly wasn't keen on licking his teerak's slit...

Business man Leonard provided the Navy with a service. I dam sure that he is not alone in the practice of securing Naval contracts, it's probably widespread globally.

Originally Posted by wasabi

Business man Leonard provided the Navy with a service. I dam sure that he is not alone in the practice of securing Naval contracts, it's probably widespread globally.

I can't say I've ever been impressed by any of the Royal Navy officers I've ever met - not that I'm insinuating anything, mind; but when I hear ex-matelot's describe them as "very special people", I probably have a very different mental image than they do.

Navy commander sentenced to 78 months in bribery scandal



SAN DIEGO -- A federal judge has sentenced a U.S. Navy commander to 78 months in prison for providing classified ship schedules in exchange for the services of a prostitute, theater tickets and other gifts from a Malaysian defense contractor who overbilled the maritime branch by more than $34 million.

Captain-select Michael Vannak Khem Misiewicz, 48, was sentenced in federal court Friday in San Diego on one count of conspiracy and one count of bribery.

His sentence is the longest one handed out so far in one of the worst bribery scandals to rock the Navy.

Misiewicz pleaded guilty to providing classified information to Leonard Glenn Francis, whose Singapore-based Glenn Defense Marine Asia, or GDMA, used it to beat out competitors and overbill the Navy by submitting fake tariffs and port fees.

In a criminal complaint filed in 2013, U.S. Navy Cmdr. Jose Luis Sanchez was accused of accepting prostitutes, $100,000 cash and other bribes from Leonard Glenn Francis, the CEO of Singapore-based Glenn Defense Marine Asia Ltd., or GDMA.

Prosecutors said that in exchange, Sanchez passed on classified U.S. Navy information to the Malaysian contractor, whose company has serviced Navy ships in the Pacific for 25 years and is accused of overbilling the Pentagon by millions.

"According to the allegations in this case, a number of officials were willing to sacrifice their integrity and millions of taxpayer dollars for personal gratification," U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy said after Wednesday's arrest.

Navy Cmdr. Michael Vannak Khem Misiewicz -- like Sanchez, was accused of giving Francis' company confidential information about Navy ship routes -- and a senior Navy investigator, John Beliveau II.

Prosecutors accused Beliveau, 44, of keeping Francis abreast of the bribery probe and advising him on how to respond in exchange for such things as prostitution services.

GDMA overcharged the Navy millions of dollars for fuel, food and other services it provided, and invented tariffs by using phony port authorities, prosecutors claimed.

Misiewicz and Francis moved Navy vessels like chess pieces, diverting aircraft carriers, destroyers and other ships to Asian ports with lax oversight where Francis could inflate costs, the criminal complaint alleges.

Francis, 49, was arrested in San Diego in September. A few weeks later, authorities arrested his company's general manager of global government contracts, Alex Wisidagama, 40.

They all initially pleaded not guilty.

Court records allege that Sanchez regularly emailed Francis internal Navy discussions about GDMA, including legal opinions, and made recommendations in GDMA's favor about port visits and Navy personnel assignments.

The conspiracy began in January 2009, when Sanchez was the deputy logistics officer for the commander of the Navy's 7th Fleet in Yokosuka, Japan, according to the charging documents.

Francis, who was known in Navy circles as "Fat Leonard," hired prostitutes for Sanchez and friends on multiple occasions, according to the investigation.

Navy commander sentenced to 78 months in bribery scandal - CBS News

I didn't see the dismissal from the Navy part.

Anybody know? SK?

Reduced rank?

Kicked out with dishonorable discharge?

Lose the pension?


(Let him rot.)

Originally Posted by Cold Pizza

I didn't see the dismissal from the Navy part.

Anybody know? SK?

Reduced rank?

Kicked out with dishonorable discharge?

Lose the pension?


(Let him rot.)

At least we (America) does some things right; in Thailand no one would dare say anything since a turd like this would be allowed to sue his accusers. Hope he gets the dishonorable and forfeits any pension.

As a followup IMO the 7th Fleet has been disgraced as this bribery scandel has broadened.

Some commissioned officers who have plead guilt have been reassigned or their security clearances have been curtailed.

Not dishonourably discharged ? WTF - what a disgrace in exchange for providing information against one's country.
The plea bargain choice for these whore-mongers and money-grabbers should be between a discharge and being "drawn 'n quartered" in exchange for cooperating with investigators.

[Good article in Washington Post.]

More fall-out for the Navy and the "Fat Leonard" saga:

Three US Navy Officers Newly Charged in 'Fat Leonard' Case

"Three current and former US Navy officers were charged in federal court documents unsealed Friday for their roles in the wide-ranging Glenn Defense Marine Asia (GDMA) investigation, also known as the 'Fat Leonard' case after a nickname for GDMA’s principal officer.

According to the US Department of Justice, retired Capt. Michael Brooks, 57, of Fairfax Station, Virginia; Cmdr. Bobby Pitts, 47, of Chesapeake, Virginia; and Lt. Cmdr. Gentry Debord, 47, based in Singapore, have been indicted in the Southern District of California. Brooks and Debord were each charged May 26 with one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. Pitts was charged the same day with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and two counts of obstruction of justice.

Brooks and Pitts made their initial appearances today in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia; Debord appeared in US District Court for the Southern District of California, the Justice Department said in a press release.

All of the charges, Justice said, relate to the defendants’ interactions with Leonard Francis, the former CEO of GDMA, a maritime husbanding agency and defense contracting firm based in Singapore.

Including the three latest charges, 13 individuals have been charged in connection with GDMA schemes that include bribery, intelligence gathering, the use of prostitutes and more.

According to the indictment, Brooks served from June 2006 to July 2008 as the US naval attaché at the American embassy in Manila, Philippines. The indictment alleges that in exchange for travel and entertainment expenses, hotel rooms and the services of prostitutes, Brooks used his office to benefit GDMA and Francis, including securing quarterly diplomatic clearances for GDMA vessels – a status that allowed GDMA vessels to transit in and out of the Philippines under the diplomatic clearance of the US embassy.

Additionally, said Justice, Brooks limited the amount of custom fees and taxes GDMA was required to pay in the Philippines and enabled the company and its clients to avoid inspection of any quantity or type of cargo it transported. The indictment also alleges that Brooks provided Francis with sensitive Navy information, including billing information belonging to a GDMA competitor and Navy ship schedules.

Pitts, Justice said, was from August 2009 to May 2011 the officer in charge of the Navy’s Fleet Industrial Supply Command (FISC), charged with meeting logistical needs of the US Seventh Fleet in the western Pacific. The indictment alleges that in exchange for entertainment, meals and the services of a prostitute, Pitts used his FISC position to interfere with NCIS investigations into GDMA.

Pitts, according to the press release, allegedly provided Francis with a hard copy of a Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) report marked “for official use only” detailing an investigation into GDMA for contract fraud. According to the indictment, the report detailed NCIS’ investigative steps and witnesses that NCIS had interviewed. The indictment further alleges that in November 2010, Pitts forwarded to a GDMA employee an internal Navy email discussing details of FISC’s efforts to oversee GDMA’s US Navy contracts.

Debord, according to the criminal complaint, served from November 2007 to August 2013 in several logistical and supply positions in the Western Pacific. In exchange for cash, hotel stays and the services of prostitutes, Debord allegedly provided Francis with inside Navy information and documents, including information about competitors’ bids and information about an investigation into GDMA billing practices.

Justice added that, in an attempt to conceal the true nature of his relationship with Francis, Debord allegedly referred to prostitutes as “cheesecake” or “bodyguards.” The indictment also alleges that Debord schemed with Francis to defraud the Navy through the submission and approval of inflated invoices.

Brooks, according to his LinkedIn page, works as an emergency operations specialist for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and is cleared for top secret information with access to sensitive compartmented information. Prior to leaving the Navy in October 2011, according to his LinkedIn page, he was assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency while working as a naval attaché in Manila and before that, Islamabad, Pakistan. His listing for the posting at Manila notes that he “planned and coordinated US Navy ship visits and clearance request[s] and coordinated port integrated vulnerability assessments with Navy criminal investigative services office.”

Of the 10 others charged in the GDMA investigation, nine have pleaded guilty, including Capt. Daniel Dusek, Cmdr. Michael Misiewicz, Cmdr. Jose Luis Sanchez, Lt. Cmdr. Todd Malaki, Petty Officer First Class Dan Layug and NCIS Special Agent John Beliveau. Former Department of Defense Senior Executive Paul Simpkins is awaiting trial.

Layug was sentenced on Jan. 21 to 27 months in prison and a $15,000 fine. On Jan. 29, Malaki was sentenced to 40 months in prison, payment of $15,000 in restitution to the Navy and a $15,000 fine.

Alex Wisidagama, a former GDMA employee, was sentenced on March 18 to 63 months and to pay $34.8 million in restitution to the Navy. Dusek, on March 25, was sentenced to 46 months in prison, payment of $30,000 in restitution to the Navy and a $70,000 fine. On April 29, Misiewicz was sentenced to 78 months in prison, a fine of $100,000 and forfeiture of $95,000 in proceeds for the scheme.

Making the announcement for the investigative team were Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, US Attorney Laura Duffy of the Southern District of California, Acting Director Dermot O’Reilly of the Department of Defense’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Director Andrew Traver of NCIS and Director Anita Bales of Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA).

NCIS, DCIS and DCAA are conducting the ongoing investigation, according to the press release. Assistant Chief Brian Young of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant US Attorney Mark Pletcher of the Southern District of California are prosecuting the case".

Originally Posted by PeeCoffee

[Good article in Washington Post.]

Is this it? Incredible. Begs the question. Is this common place throughout the entire military procurement system?

"The man who seduced the 7th Fleet"

https://www.washingtonpost.com/class...65d_story.html

Originally Posted by Storekeeper

June 2006 to July 2008 as the US naval attaché at the American embassy in Manila, Philippines.

H'mmmmm. Not great, is it?

I recall that SO's were treated quite lavishly in foreign ports- thanks to their purchasing power. But selling secrets? I hope not.

US Navy Admiral Guilty in Fat Leonard Bribery Case


Rear Adm. Robert Gilbeau - Highest-ranking officer thus charged in bribery scandal

WASHINGTON — US Navy Rear Adm. Robert Gilbeau pleaded guilty today to one count in the Glenn Defense Marine Asia (GDMA) investigation, becoming the highest-ranking officer thus far to face federal criminal charges.

He becomes the 14th person federally indicted in the GDMA scandal, also known as the "Fat Leonard" case after a nickname for Leonard Francis, the organization’s top official. Gilbeau became the ninth person charged to plead guilty.

Most of those charged were accused of accepting bribes and favors and committing fraud in exchange for information on US Navy ship movements in the western Pacific and arranging visits to specific ports where GDMA handled ship husbanding chores — the panoply of services needed by any ship visiting a foreign port.

Gilbeau, 55, a supply officer living in Burke, Virginia, pleaded guilty in a San Diego federal courthouse to making a false statement to federal investigators, but was not directly charged with criminal activity in conjunction with his relations to GDMA.

According to the Justice Department, Gilbeau admitted he lied when he told agents from the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) that he had never received any gifts from Francis, the owner of Singapore-based GDMA.

Gilbeau also admitted he lied in telling investigators that he “always paid for half of the dinner” when he and Francis met about three times a year, according to Justice. The one-star admiral further admitted that when he became aware that Francis and others had been arrested in connection with the fraud and bribery offenses in September 2013, he destroyed documents and deleted computer files.

Francis previously pleaded guilty to plying scores of other US Navy officials with gifts such as luxury travel, meals, cash, electronics, parties and prostitutes.

According to his service record, Gilbeau served as a supply officer aboard several ships that operated in GDMA’s territory. His most recent seagoing assignment was as supply officer aboard the aircraft carrier Nimitz, which operated in GDMA's area during a 2003 deployment when Gilbeau was aboard. Gilbeau also served as a crisis action team leader during tsunami relief operations in early 2005. A 1983 graduate of the US Naval Academy, Gilbeau's awards include the Legion of Merit, a Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, four Meritorious Service Medals, a Navy Unit Commendation and a Combat Action Ribbon.

The Justice Department, in a press release, did not specify the actions that led to the investigation targeting Gilbeau. But the release noted that Gilbeau, as supply officer on the Nimitz in 2003 and 2004, was responsible for procuring all goods and services necessary for operation of the ship. Justice noted that Gilbeau later served as head of the Tsunami Relief Crisis Action Team in Singapore, heading the Navy’s logistics response to the Southeast Asia tsunami in December 2004, and added that in June 2005, Gilbeau was assigned to the office of the Chief of Naval Operations as the head of aviation material support, establishing policies and requirements for budgeting and acquisitions for the Navy’s air forces.

Justice also noted that in August 2010 — apparently after being selected for the rank of rear admiral, which he assumed in September 2011 — Gilbeau assumed command of the Defense Contract Management Agency International, “where he was responsible for the global administration of DoD’s most critical contracts performed outside the United States, according to admissions made in connection with his plea.”

Gilbeau’s most recent posting was as a special assistant to the Chief of the Supply Corps at the Defense Logistics Agency headquarters on Fort Belvoir, Virginia – apparently a holding position while the investigation was carried out.

Friday’s announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, US Attorney Laura Duffy of the Southern District of California, Acting Director Dermot O’Reilly of DCIS, Director Andrew Traver of NCIS and Director Anita Bales of the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA). Each of them issued a statement condemning Gilbeau.

“As a flag-level officer in the US Navy, [Rear] Admiral Gilbeau understood his duty to be honest with the federal agents investigating this sprawling bribery scheme,” Caldwell said. “By destroying documents and lying about the gifts that he received, Admiral Gilbeau broke the law and dishonored his uniform.”

“Of those who wear our nation’s uniform in the service of our country, only a select few have been honored to hold the rank of admiral — and not a single one is above the law,” said Duffy. “Admiral Gilbeau lied to federal agents investigating corruption and fraud, and then tried to cover up his deception by destroying documents and files. Whether the evidence leads us to a civilian, to an enlisted service member or to an admiral, as this investigation expands we will continue to hold responsible all those who lied or who corruptly betrayed their public duties for personal gain.”

“The guilty plea of Rear Admiral Robert Gilbeau is an unfortunate example of a dishonorable naval flag officer who has betrayed his shipmates, the US Navy and his country,” O’Reilly said. “Admiral Gilbeau's guilty plea should be a resounding message that DCIS, Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Department of Justice will continue to investigate and seek to prosecute any individual, regardless of position or rank, who would put our mission of ‘Protecting America’s Warfighters’ at risk.”

“This investigation demonstrates that corruption, conspiracy and the release of sensitive information puts Department of the Navy personnel and resources at risk,” said Traver. “And in concert with our partner agencies, NCIS remains resolved to follow the evidence, to help hold accountable those who make personal reward a higher priority than professional responsibility.”

“DCAA is proud to stand in partnership with our law enforcement allies and make a meaningful contribution to the outcome in this egregious case,” Bales added. “It is very disappointing that this high-ranking individual lost sight of his responsibility as a government official. We look forward to continuing our support of this significant investigation.”

Gilbeau's attorney, David Benowitiz, issued a statement on Gilbeau’s behalf prior to today's court appearance in San Diego. “Rear Admiral Robert Gilbeau has completed multiple combat deployments afloat and ashore during his distinguished 37-year naval career,” Benowitz said. “Among his many decorations, he was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart during the 2007 Iraq surge.

“However, Rear Admiral Gilbeau did in fact make a false statement during the course of an important investigation. In this unfortunate situation, he accepts responsibility for the decisions he made and for his conduct.”

Gilbeau is the fourth officer in recent weeks to face federal charges in the GDMA case. Three other officers were charged on May 27: retired Capt. Michael Brooks; Cmdr. Bobby Pitts; and Lt. Cmdr. Gentry Debord. Those cases have not yet gone to trial.

As Gilbeau was appearing in court Thursday, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus issued a statement praising investigators.

“The Naval Criminal Investigative Service, along with the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the Defense Contract Audit Agency did impressive work to discover the corruption in these cases and provided the evidence used to prosecute those who violated the trust we expect from people in these positions,” Mabus said in the statement.

“We now have some of the strongest counter-fraud efforts in the government, to include additional measures to assure contracting integrity, and although the vast majority of our men and women in uniform live out the Navy's core values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment, we will continue to hold accountable those involved in fraudulent conduct,” he added.

Adm. John Richardson, Chief of Naval Operations, issued a personal statement just before the indictment was announced.

“This behavior is inconsistent with our standards and the expectations the nation has for us as military professionals,” Richardson wrote. “It damages the trust that the nation places in us, and is an embarrassment to the Navy.

“We are fully cooperating with officials from the Department of Justice and law enforcement agencies to ensure that those who violated the law are held accountable. But we must go further. We naval officers have a professional and moral obligation to continuously examine our personal conduct to ensure that we embody the attributes of integrity and accountability. We must hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards of behavior, and work tirelessly to restore any damage that has been done to these crucial relationships. As CNO, I am personally committed to leading this effort.”

The investigation is continuing under NCIS, DCIS and DCAA. Assistant Chief Brian Young of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant US Attorneys Mark Pletcher and Patrick Hovakimian of the Southern District of California are prosecuting the case.

US Navy Admiral Guilty in Fat Leonard Bribery Case

How much jail time for this one?...

^ 5,000 whores waiting at the dock was the Russians' first clue...

More fall out from the "Fat Leonard" saga, and about 30 Admirals are still under investigation.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/inves...=.06d7e588d9a5

The Justice Department unsealed a fresh indictment Tuesday charging eight Navy officials — including an admiral — with corruption and other crimes in the “Fat Leonard” bribery case, escalating an epic scandal that has dogged the Navy for four years.

Among those charged were Rear Adm. Bruce Loveless, a senior Navy intelligence officer who recently retired from a key job at the Pentagon, as well as four retired Navy captains and a retired Marine colonel. The charges cover a period of eight years, from 2006 through 2014.

The Navy personnel are accused of taking bribes in the form of lavish gifts, prostitutes and luxury hotel stays courtesy of Leonard Glenn “Fat Leonard” Francis, a Singapore-based defense contractor who has pleaded guilty to defrauding the Navy of tens of millions of dollars.

The indictment lists page after page of bribes allegedly provided to the defendants including $25,000 watches, $2,000 boxes of Cohiba cigars, $2,000 bottles of cognac and $600-per-night hotel rooms.

According to the charging documents, Francis also frequently sponsored wild sex parties for many officers assigned to the USS Blue Ridge, the flagship of the Navy’s 7th Fleet, and other warships.

During a port visit by the Blue Ridge to Manila in May 2008, for example, five of the Navy officers attended a “raging multi-day party, with a rotating carousel of prostitutes,” at the Shangri-La Hotel, according to the indictment. The group allegedly drank the hotel’s entire supply of Dom Pérignon champagne and rang up expenses exceeding $50,000, which Francis covered in full.

On another port visit by the Blue Ridge to Manila in February 2007, Francis allegedly hosted a sex party for officers in the MacArthur Suite of the Manila hotel. During the party, “historical memorabilia related to General Douglas MacArthur were used by the participants in sexual acts,” according to the indictment.

In exchange, according to federal prosecutors, the officials provided Francis with classified or inside information that enabled his firm, Glenn Defense Marine Asia, to gouge the Navy out of tens of millions of dollars.

Federal agents fanned out across six states Tuesday in a coordinated operation to arrest the defendants, authorities said.

Loveless, the retired admiral, was arrested at his home in Coronado, Calif. The Navy had announced in November 2013 that he was under scrutiny by the Justice Department and suspended his access to classified material. He was allowed to retire last fall.

Navy officials have said that about 30 admirals are under investigation, although only a handful have been named publicly.

Robert Gilbeau, a one-star admiral, was convicted last June after he pleaded guilty to making false statements to investigators about his contacts with Francis. He has since retired. He is scheduled to be sentenced next month in federal court.

Separately, the Navy has censured or disciplined three admirals for ethics violations after they accepted lavish meals and other gifts from Francis.

Others taken into custody Tuesday included David Newland, 60, a retired captain from San Antonio; James Dolan, 58, a retired captain from Gettysburg, Pa.; David Lausman, a retired captain from The Villages, Fla.; and Donald Hornbeck, a retired captain who lives in Britain.

Agents also arrested Enrico de Guzman, a retired Marine colonel from Hono[at]lulu; Lt. Cmdr. Stephen Shedd, an active-duty officer from Colorado Springs; and Robert Gorsuch, 48, of Virginia Beach, a retired chief warrant officer.

None of the defendants could be reached for comment Tuesday. The charges against them include bribery, conspiracy, obstruction of justice and making false statements to federal investigators.

All of the accused officers formerly held key positions on the command staff of the Japan-based 7th Fleet and were bribed by Francis because they could help steer business to Glenn Defense Marine Asia, according to court papers.

The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. attorney’s office in San Diego with the assistance of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service.

“This is a fleecing and betrayal of the United States Navy in epic proportions,” said Alana W. Robinson, the acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California. She said the defendants “worked together as a team to trade secrets for sex, serving the interests of a greedy foreign defense contractor and not those of their own country.”


Open link to read the entire article.

RHIP but this goes way beyond the norm. These high ranking officers knew the rules and all need to go down hard. Dishonorable discharge, loss of all pensions and long prison terms.

Had the enlisted or junior officers under their command done anything close to this sort of stuff they would be court marshalled by these same crooked officers.

More to come for sure as favors for favors is a way of life in Asia.

Fooking Fat Leonard must be a real snake-oil mofo...

Originally Posted by Norton

RHIP but this goes way beyond the norm. These high ranking officers knew the rules and all need to go down hard. Dishonorable discharge, loss of all pensions and long prison terms.

Had the enlisted or junior officers under their command done anything close to this sort of stuff they would be court marshalled by these same crooked officers.

This seems to be one of the highest ranking cases of corruption I've heard of.

SK, anyone else?

Perhaps Norton is retired Navy?


Here's an ignorant question from a civilian (me): During an Article 15 or a Court Martial, do enlisted defendants get treated differentely than officers on trial?

For example in sentencing if found guilty?

Originally Posted by BaitongBoy

Fooking Fat Leonard must be a real snake-oil mofo...

Here's the thing ... in a way he is the one who got scammed by the officers. There are very few ports US Navy ships go to. Fat Leonard really didn't need to 'grease the skids' ... and IMHO he finally figured it out and is now ratting out as many people as possible.

Originally Posted by Cold Pizza

Originally Posted by Norton

RHIP but this goes way beyond the norm. These high ranking officers knew the rules and all need to go down hard. Dishonorable discharge, loss of all pensions and long prison terms.

Had the enlisted or junior officers under their command done anything close to this sort of stuff they would be court marshalled by these same crooked officers.

This seems to be one of the highest ranking cases of corruption I've heard of.

SK, anyone else?

Perhaps Norton is retired Navy?


Here's an ignorant question from a civilian (me): During an Article 15 or a Court Martial, do enlisted defendants get treated differentely than officers on trial?

For example in sentencing if found guilty?

Just finished reading the actual 78 page indictment. Dude ... some of these guys actually recruited officers for their scam. And here's what's not in the news articles ... there were wives actively involved in this.

Thanks, SK.