Leonard Francis. (Credit: From Fat Leonard Podcast via CNN)
(CNN) — Leonard Francis, the former military contractor known as “Fat Leonard” who orchestrated the largest corruption scandal in US Navy history, is on the run after escaping house arrest in San Diego by cutting off his GPS monitoring ankle bracelet, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.
The escape comes just three weeks before his sentencing.
The federal agency monitoring Francis’ house arrest, Pretrial Services, called the San Diego Police Department on Sunday to check on him, Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Omar Castillo told CNN. When police discovered Francis’ home empty, they contacted the marshals, Castillo said.
Marshals found was the ankle bracelet he had cut off and left in a portable cooler.
Neighbors told the marshals that they had recently seen several U-Haul trucks at Francis’ house, according to Castillo.
“It appears he has been planning this for a while,” he told CNN.
The Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force, San Diego division — which is run by the US Marshals — is searching for Francis.
Castillo said the Naval Criminal Investigative Service is also involved because they worked on the original case.
“We have a few leads we’re following,” Castillo said.
The San Diego Union-Tribune first reported Francis escaped house arrest.
Francis, whose nickname came from his then 400-pound heft, pleaded guilty to bribery and fraud charges in 2015.
The investigation into the corruption scandal began in 2013 and touched on capitals and ports across the Pacific, including Singapore, Tokyo, Bangkok and Manila. During the probe, multiple Navy officials were arrested and accused of accepting cash, prostitutes and all-expenses-paid trips in exchange for steering ships to ports where Francis’ contracting company operated, providing services such as fuel and tugboats.
The-CNN-Wire
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