SAN DIEGO — Fugitive defense contractor Leonard Glenn Francis, also known as "Fat Leonard", appeared for the first time in federal court Thursday in San Diego.
It was a relatively short court appearance, but this was the first time Francis has been in court since he fled the U.S. and was extradited from Venezuela.
While no cameras are allowed in the federal courtroom, Francis was seen in his jail uniform with shackles around his feet as he was escorted in by U.S. Marshalls.
Thursday's court appearance was a status conference. One issue discussed was the fact that his attorneys wanted to withdraw from the case. Francis did not oppose. However, the U.S. government did. They wanted no further delays before sentencing and thought the attorneys on the case should stay until the end.
The judge did not approve the withdrawal, but also didn't deny it. Instead, she issued a continuation until his attorneys could come up with a succession plan for his next representation.
Francis pleaded guilty in 2015 to bribing San Diego-based Navy officers with cash and sex workers in exchange for classified information.
He escaped house arrest in Torrey Highlands in September 2022. Francis was later arrested in Venezuela, and in December, he was extradited back to the U.S. in a prisoner swap.
Francis will not be arraigned on any charges related to his escape until he is first sentenced in the previous case. He is due back in court on February 8.
Fleeing from San Diego
Francis fled from house arrest in San Diego in 2022 in what was seen as a misstep by the prosecution for allowing him to not be remanded to custody. U.S. and Venezuelan officials said that Francis cut off his ankle monitor, fled to Mexico, and then made his way to Cuba before turning up in Venezuela. He was later captured in Venezuela and extradited back to the United States.
Francis, known for his wide girth and big personality, pleaded guilty in 2015 and faced up to 25 years in prison. Investigators said he and his company, Glenn Defense Marine Asia, bribed US Navy officers so he could overcharge for supplying ships or charge for fake services at ports he controlled in Southeast Asia.
Francis owned Singapore-based Glenn Defense Marine Asia Ltd. or GDMA, that supplied food, water, and fuel to vessels for decades. He acknowledged overbilling the U.S. Navy by $35 million with the help of dozens of U.S. naval officers whom he plied with prostitutes, Kobe beef, cigars, and other bribes so they would direct their ships to ports Francis controlled in the Pacific in Southeast Asia.
The case, which delved into salacious details about service members cheating on their wives and seeking out prostitutes, was an embarrassment to the Pentagon. The U.S. attorney’s office handled the prosecution, offering independence from the military justice system.