KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 21): Malaysian businessman Leonard Glenn Francis — known as "Fat Leonard" — who was the central figure in a US$35 million (RM163 million) bribery scheme in the largest corruption scandal in US military history, is set to be returned to the US by Venezuela under a prisoner swap deal.
In a statement on the White House website on Wednesday, President Joe Biden said ten Americans who had been detained in Venezuela had been released, including all six wrongfully detained Americans.
Biden said Francis, who fled the US before he could be sentenced for his lead role in a bribery and corruption case, will face justice for crimes he committed against the US government.
The story on the worst public corruption scandal in the US Navy history broke during the summer of 2022 after the military contractor cut off his GPS ankle monitor and fled from house arrest in his San Diego mansion.
He was detained later in Venezuela, where he faced extradition proceedings. He had been cooperating with US investigators before fleeing the country.
Prosecutors said that in exchange for contracts, Francis gave Navy officers cash, gourmet food, expensive cigars, rare cognac and hotel sex parties.
In 2015, Leonard pleaded guilty to bribing Navy officials through his Singapore-based company, Glenn Defense Marine Asia, which serviced ships in the Navy's Pacific Fleet.
In September this year, four former US Navy officers charged in a massive bribery scandal linked to Leonard were cleared of felony charges by a judge citing prosecutor misconduct.
Meanwhile, the scandal has inspired an opera.
Titled Schemes and Scandals of Fat Leonard, the opera aims to shed light on the untold stories of women affected by the scandal, with its first aria, the Handbag Aria, focusing on Marcy Misiewicz, the ex-wife of former Navy officer Michael Misiewicz.
While the scandal itself may seem like an unusual source of inspiration for an opera, the creators believe it possesses all the elements of a classic tragedy.
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Fat Leonard, the opera!