‘Fat Leonard’ planning to ask Trump for pardon or commutation
The former defense contractor says he fled before sentencing and is now seeking a pardon or commutation as he serves a 15-year term.
- In an exclusive interview at Federal Correctional Institution Lompoc in May, Leonard Glenn Francis, known as Fat Leonard, revealed details of his 2022 escape from house arrest and his clemency bid to President Donald Trump, citing Stage 4 kidney cancer.
- By summer 2022, Francis faced a late September sentencing date and grew increasingly anxious about returning to prison. Prosecutors distanced themselves after a 2021 podcast raised credibility concerns, deterring them from calling him as a witness in the Navy officers' trial.
- On Labor Day weekend, Francis sheared off his electronic ankle monitor and within 30 minutes crossed the Mexican border via Uber, boarding a chartered jet from Tijuana to Havana. He obtained a new Malaysian passport through the Malaysian Consulate in Los Angeles, circumventing court officials' belief he held only expired documents.
- After 16 days on the run, Venezuelan authorities detained Francis at the Caracas airport on September 20 based on an Interpol Red Notice. He remained in custody for 14 months until a secret prisoner swap exchanged him and 10 detained Americans for a Maduro ally, with U.S. District Judge Janis Sammartino later expressing anger over the escape.
- Of 40 people prosecuted or court-martialed in the Navy corruption scandal, Francis remains the only defendant still imprisoned despite providing evidence against more than 60 admirals under the anonymous alias Matahari. His escape forced prosecutors to drop felony charges against 10 Navy defendants.
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Malaysian 'Fat Leonard' reveals plan to appeal Trump for pardon as health fades
PETALING JAYA: Leonard Glenn Francis, the Malaysian defence contractor at the heart of the US Navy's most expansive bribery scandal, is making a final bid for freedom, reports The Washington Post.
‘Fat Leonard’ seeks Trump pardon, citing cancer and financial hardship
WASHINGTON, July 14 — Former defence contractor Leonard Glenn Francis is reportedly seeking clemency from US President Donald Trump as he serves a 15-year sentence for bribery and fraud in the US Navy’s largest corruption scandal.The Washington Post reported today that Francis, better known as “Fat Leonard”, said he was seeking a pardon or a reduction of his sentence partly because he has Stage 4 kidney cancer and fears he may not live until hi…
'Fat Leonard' Seeks Trump Pardon In Navy Bribery Case
Leonard Glenn Francis, widely known as "Fat Leonard," is preparing to ask President Donald Trump to pardon him or commute the remainder of his prison sentence in connection with the U.S. Navy bribery scandal. According to The Washington Post, Francis said he is seeking clemency because he has Stage 4 kidney cancer and fears he may not survive until his scheduled release in 2030.The report said Francis and his legal team plan to argue that prosec…
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