Investigation into the “Fat Leonard Scandal” has expanded to include 440 active-duty and retired personnel, including 60 current and former admirals, of the U.S. Navy, according to reports.
Reports said these personnel might have violated military law or federal ethic rules in their dealings with Leonard Glenn Francis, a Singapore-based maritime tycoon.
Francis, 53, the owner of Glenn Defense Marine Asia firm, built relationships with a number of member of the U.S. Navy by enticing them with bribes ranging from thousands of dollars in cash, travel expenses and luxury items to prostitutes in order to extract confidential information from Navy personnel.
He was often called “Leonard the Legend” for his wild lifestyle and “Fat Leonard” for being 360-pounds in weight.
In exchange for his generous “gifts,” Francis was able to find out about the movements of U.S. ships and submarines, navy contracts, and updates regarding active law enforcement investigations into his firm, which was being investigated for profiting from supplying Navy vessels in ports from Vladivostok, Russia to Brisbane, Australia, the Washington Post reported.
Investigations into the scandal began more than four years ago and 28 members of the Navy, including two admirals, have since been indicted.
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