---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ARTICLES-ALPHA BY MEDIA RESOURCE Fat Leonard Case - see also 8c-Articles By Date American Conservative: Fat Leonard and the Decline of Military Values: The officer corps was once assumed to be above larger cultural rot. No more.By Andrew J. Bacevich (03/20.2017) http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/fat-leonard-and-the-decline-of-military-values/ Capital Gazette 2015/07/15 Navy: Former USNA superintendent censured over gifts. By Tim Prudente https://www.capitalgazette.com/ph-ac-cn-miller-retires-0718-20150717-story.html Chicago Tribune (Washington Post) 2018/04/01 'Fat Leonard' and his prostitutes affected Pentagon's pick to lead Joint Chiefs. By Craig Whitlock https://www.chicagotribune.com/nation-world/ct-joint-chiefs-prostitutes-corruption-20180401-story.html Corruption Buzz August 2021 seems to show up 2022/01/11 Chief Warrant Officer [Robert Gorsuch] Pleads Guilty In International Navy Bribery And Fraud Scandal | USAO-SDCA By Corruption Buzz https://corruptionbuzz.com/2022/01/11/chief-warrant-officer-pleads-guilty-in-international-navy-bribery-and- fraud-scandal-usao-sdca/ Defense News 2016/06/09 http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense-news/2016/06/09/navy-gilbeau-fat-leonard-gdma-glenn-defense- marine-scandal-bribery-supply-logistics-pacific/85659838/ DOJ-see Justice Dept. Federal News Radio 2017/03/17 Face Navy’s 7th Fleet Scandal is Malignant. By Tom Temin https://federalnewsradio.com/tom-temin-commentary/2017/03/face-navys-7th-fleet-scandal-malignant/ Heavy 2017/03/14 Bruce Loveless: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | … https://heavy.com/news/2017/03/bruce-loveless-navy... Loveless Is Accused of Taking Bribes In the Form of Gifts & Prostitutes. High Ranking US … He Was Suspended of His Duties in 2013 for Corruption. After the government ''got him'', US … Loveless Played a Big Role In Many High-Profile Assignments. Loveless has an extensive … Loveless Was the Recipient of Many Military Honors. In his time in the Navy, Loveless … See full list on heavy.com HuffPost 2019/12/27 Navy SEALs Detail Eddie Gallagher's Gruesome Alleged War Crimes: Report "I saw Eddie take a shot at probably a 12-year-old kid," one SEAL told investigators. By Sara Boboltz https://www.huffpost.com/entry/navy-seals-eddie-gallagher-war-crimes-new-york- times_n_5e061518c5b6b5a713ad85e0 Ice dot gov 2017/03/14 U.S. Navy Admiral Plus Eight Officers Indicted as Part of Corrupt Team that Worked Together to Trade Navy Secrets for Sex Parties Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark W. Pletcher (619) 546-9714 and Patrick Hovakimian (619) 546-9718 NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – March 14, 2017 https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/us-navy-admiral-plus-eight-officers-indicted-part-corrupt-team-worked- together-trade Justice dot gov 2017/03/14 U.S. Navy Admiral Plus Eight Officers Indicted as Part of Corrupt Team that Worked Together to Trade Navy Secrets for Sex Parties Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark W. Pletcher (619) 546-9714 and Patrick Hovakimian (619) 546-9718 NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – March 14, 2017 https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/us-navy-admiral-plus-eight-officers-indicted-part-corrupt-team-worked- together-trade 2015/01/06 Navy Commander [Sanchez] Pleads Guilty International Bribery Scandal: Second U.S. Navy Officer Indicted on Related Bribery Charges https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/us-navy-commander-pleads-guilty-international-bribery-scandal Linked In 2016/09/01 The US Navy Supply Corps is morally bankrupt. By David Schaus https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/us-navy-supply-corps-morally-bankrupt-david-schaus Los Angeles Times 2016/04/29 Navy [Cmdr. Michael Vannak Khiem Misiewicz] sentenced to 6 years in prison in ‘Fat Leonard’ bribery scandal https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-fat-leonard-sentence-20160429- story.html#:~:text=By%20Greg%20Moran%20April%2029%2C%202016%202%3A46%20PM,term%2 Military dot com 2021/09/01 Retired Navy Officer [Chief Warrant Officer Robert Gorsuch] Pleads Guilty to Bribery in 'Fat Leonard' Trial https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/09/01/retired-navy-officer-pleads-guilty-bribery-fat-leonard-trial.html 2015/12/03 by Erik Slavin http://www.military.com/daily-news/2015/12/03/another-former-navy-official-arrested-fat-leonard-bribery-case.html Military Corruption dot com: -Belieavu, John http://www.militarycorruption.com/belieavu.htm no longer seems to be up on internet -Gallagher Back Story https://militarycorruption.com/gallagher-back-story/ [as of 2022/01/14 this article is up on internet] -Haas, David http://www.militarycorruption.com/haas.htm no longer seems to be up on internet -Sanchez, Jose Sanchez http://www.militarycorruption.com/josesanchez.htm Excerpt: Navy CDR Jose Luis Sanchez has cut a deal with government prosecutors, and that could be bad news for two Navy flag officers, sources tell MilitaryCorruption.com. The 42 year- old former XO for Fleet Logistics Center at Yokosuka admitted to accepting bribes from Malaysian business mogul "Fat Leonard" Glenn Francis to make sure U.S. warships used his facilities at various Asian ports of call. Overcharging the Navy for various services, such as food and fuel, finally caught up with the obese crook. Sanchez, who faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced in March, (but probably will get far less jail time, because of his cooperation with federal investigators in this case) admitted he took $100,000 in cash payoffs and enjoyed free romps with prostitutes in exchange for his steering Naval craft to ports where Fat Leonard's contracting firm could rip them off. http://www.militarycorruption.com/josesanchez.htm no longer seems to be up on internet -Misiewicz, Michael Vannak Khem - Navy CMDR http://www.militarycorruption.com/misiwiecz.htm no longer seems to be up on internet MSN 2017/03/14 Admiral, seven others charged with corruption in new ‘Fat Leonard’ indictment. By Craig Whitlock. http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/admiral-seven-others-charged-with-corruption-in-new- %E2%80%98fat-leonard%E2%80%99-indictment/ar-AAom2vy?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=wispr Excerpt: The Justice Department unsealed a fresh indictment Tuesday charging eight current and former Navy officials — including an admiral — with corruption and other crimes in the “Fat Leonard” bribery case, escalating an epic scandal that has dogged the Navy for the past four years. Among those charged were Rear Adm. Bruce Loveless, a senior Navy intelligence officer based at the Pentagon, several Navy captains and a retired colonel from the Marine Corps. The charges cover a period of eight years, from 2006 through 2014. The Navy personnel are accused of taking bribes in the form of lavish gifts, prostitutes and luxury hotel stays courtesy of Leonard Glenn Francis, a Singapore-based defense contractor who has already pleaded guilty to defrauding the Navy of tens of millions of dollars. The indictment lists page after page of bribes allegedly consumed by the defendants — seven senior officers and one enlisted sailor — including $25,000 watches, $2,000 boxes of Cohiba cigars, $2,000 bottles of cognac and $600-per-night hotel rooms. According to the charging documents, Francis also frequently sponsored wild sex parties for many officers on the USS Blue Ridge, the flagship of the Navy’s 7th Fleet, and other warships. During a port visit by the Blue Ridge to Manila in May 2008, for example, five of the Navy officers attended a “raging multi-day party, with a rotating carousel of prostitutes,” at the Shangri-La Hotel, according to the indictment. The group allegedly drank the hotel’s entire supply of Dom Perignon champagne and rang up expenses exceeding $50,000, which Francis covered in full. http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/admiral-seven-others-charged-with-corruption-in-new- %E2%80%98fat-leonard%E2%80%99-indictment/ar-AAom2vy?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=wispr National Interest: Fat Leonard Scandal Talks a little about why secrets might be kept in the military such as occurred in the Fat Leonard Case. http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/the-us-navys-%E2%80%9Cfat-leonard-scandal%E2%80%9D- highlights-the-need-16751 Navy Matters Blog Spot: Integrity 2017/04/10 http://navy-matters.blogspot.com/2017/04/integrity.html Note From PF: I really like this article. It speaks to the core of what I feel are the issues at hand. I have done some rearranging of the paragraph structures and applied italics where I felt he was making a particularly important point. I am deeply grateful that someone stepped up to the plate and wrote on these critical matters. Excerpt: The “Fat Leonard” scandal that has rocked the Navy and the 7th Fleet, in particular, has, thus far, seen several current and former Navy commanders, including admirals, convicted of various charges with several others “censured or disciplined” for ethics violations. Currently, 30 admirals are still under investigation (5). Charges and violations cover the gamut from “simple” ethics violations to bribery, conspiracy, obstruction of justice and making false statements to federal investigators. So, that’s somewhere around 40 people involved in just one scandal and the investigation is still ongoing. More people will, undoubtedly be charged. The 7th Fleet command structure was, apparently, riddled with criminals. Even more disturbing than the violations and the number of people fired or charged with crimes is that none of these people were called out by their peers. Do you really think that all these hundreds of people were able to conduct their misdeeds in utter secrecy from those who worked closely with them on a day to day basis with some of the misdeeds covering years? Of course not! Other people knew that wrongs were being committed and those who knew but said nothing are just as guilty of a failure of integrity (if not actual crimes!) as the principals. For the period 2011-2016, we see that there were around 120 firings and another 30+ firings, charges, and convictions in the Fat Leonard scandal. Those, alone, give us a total of around 150 people who demonstrated a direct lack of integrity. If we assume, conservatively, that five other people knew about each individual’s failures but said nothing, we have an additional 750 command level people who also demonstrated ethical cowardice and a lack of integrity by not speaking up and reporting. That has us approaching a thousand integrity-challenged command level people who failed themselves, the Navy, and the nation. Note that we’re not even considering executive officer and below levels – just command levels. There’s yet another level of integrity failings that we’ve documented in this blog and that is the commonplace practice of retired admirals taking jobs with the very defense industry companies that they were supposed to be dealing with during service. At the very least, this represents an egregious conflict of interest and may well constitute actual bribery, extortion, and payback. Thus, add dozens and dozens of retired admirals to the list of demonstrably integrity-challenged command level people. While taking such jobs may not be against the law, it’s certainly a clear case of a lack of integrity and judgment unworthy of flag officers. Admirals have a pretty nice retirement package so it’s not like they desperately need the money. Thus far, this post is depressing but the real point has not yet been made. The real point is that the Navy is clearly systemically integrity-challenged and yet, if we go to war tomorrow, these are the very people who will be leading us in combat. Do we really want these kinds of people to be our combat leaders? Do we really think people with no integrity will lead us to victory? Even more immediately relevant is the fact that these people are making today’s decisions about tomorrow’s weapons, systems, and platforms. We’ve repeatedly noted the highly questionable (baffling?) decisions being made about various acquisition programs that seem to have no other explanation than graft, corruption, and payback in the form of retirement jobs with defense companies. Are these the people we want shaping our future Navy? http://navy-matters.blogspot.com/2017/04/integrity.html Navy dot mil 2017/02/10 Rear Adm. Adrian Jansen Receives NJP at Admiral's Mast https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/News-Stories/Article/2254987/rear-adm-adrian-jansen-receives-njp-at- admirals-mast/ Rear Adm. Adrian Jansen received non-judicial punishment (NJP) at Admiral's Mast held today by Commander, United States Fleet Forces, Adm. Phil Davidso Navy Times 2019/11/27 Op Ed by brother: Navy corruption and the Gallagher case-By Sean Gallagher https://www.navytimes.com/opinion/2019/11/27/op-ed-navy-corruption-and-the-gallagher-case/ 2018 https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2018/03/15/fat-leonard-admiral-keeps-high-level- security-clearance/ NPR 2016/06/09 US Rear Admiral Pleads Guilty in Fat Leonard Navy Bribery and Fraud Case. By Bill Chappell http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/06/09/481475338/u-s-rear-admiral-pleads-guilty-in-fat- leonard-navy-bribery-and-fraud-case Paul Davis on Crime: 2016/05 Three Navy Officers Charged http://www.pauldavisoncrime.com/2016/05/three-navy-officers-charged-in.html 2016/05 Fat Leonard Man Who Seduced US Navy (Brief) http://www.pauldavisoncrime.com/2016/05/fat-leonard-francis-man-who-seduced-us.html photo: a photo shows Leonard with Admiral Mike Mullen. 2017/03/17 Radio Australia: Senior Australian sailors investigated over US Navy 'Fat Leonard' sex/bribery scandal. By Andrew Greene Reuters http //www reuters com/article/us-usa-navy-corruption-idUSKCN0Z92BZ RT (Question More) 2017/03/15-16 Navy Officers Fat Leonard https://www.rt.com/usa/380861-navy-officers-fat-leonard/ Commander Michael Vannak Khem Misiewicz Excerpt: Born in Cambodia during Vietnam war https://www.rt.com/usa/330570-navy-commander-guilty-bribery/ San Diego Union Tribune 2016/12/28 Navy repeatedly dismissed evidence 'Fat Leonard' was cheating the 7th Fleet. By Craig Whitlock http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/military/sd-me-fat-leonard-20161228-story.html Excerpt: The Navy allowed the worst corruption scandal in its history to fester for several years by dismissing a flood of evidence that the rotund Asian defense contractor was cheating the service out of millions of dollars and bribing officers with booze, sex and lavish dinners, newly released documents show. http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/military/sd-me-fat-leonard-20161228-story.html 2016/12/02 Simpkins Sentence http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/courts/sd-me-simpkins-sentence-20161202-story.html Excerpt: When a Navy official asked to take a second look at invoices submitted by contractor “Fat” Leonard Francis for services his company performed during a ship visit to Hong Kong, the request was quickly thwarted. The admonishment sent to the official by supervising civilian Navy contract specialist Paul Simpkins was sharp: “Do not request any invoices from the ship … do not violate this instruction. Contact the ship and rescind your request.” http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/courts/sd-me-simpkins-sentence-20161202-story.html 2016/10/14 Ex-NCIS agent imprisoned in 'Fat Leonard' Navy fraud scheme. By Kristina Davis http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sd-me-ncis-sentence-20161014-story.html 2015/11/14 Timeline of Fat Leonard Scandal. By Greg Moran http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/watchdog/sdut-timeline-of-fat-leonard-scandal- 2015nov14-htmlstory.html 2015/05/22 Fat Leonard Bribery - Bail Release Request http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-fat-leonard-francis-navy-bribery-bail-release-2015may22- htmlstory.html Silent Soldier 2016/12/28 Navy Repeatedly Dismissed Evidence that Fat Leonard Was Cheating the 7th Fleet https://silentsoldier.us/2016/12/28/navy-repeatedly-dismissed-evidence-that-fat-leonard-was- cheating-the-7th-fleet/ [as of 2020/05/08 it looks like this website is no longer active] Task & Purpose via San Diego Union Tribune 2017/09/23 Navy Won’t Punish Vice Admiral Stripped Of Security Clearance During ‘Fat Leonard’ Probe Fretting about his possible role in the “Fat Leonard” bribery scandal, in late 2013 the Navy stripped the security clearance...By Carl Prine https://taskandpurpose.com/news/ted-branch-navy-fat-leonard/ Time 2015/01/06 U.S. Navy Commander Confesses to Sordid Bribery and Vice Plot. By Elizabeth Barber https://time.com/3657034/bribery-navy-jose-luis-sanchez/ USNI dot org (US Naval Institute) 2019/01/24 Paying price hidden cost Fat Leonard investigation. By Sam LaGrone. https://news.usni.org/2019/01/24/paying-price-hidden-cost-fat-leonard-investigation 2017/09/22 Former Naval Intelligence Chief Ted Branch Cleared in ‘Fat Leonard’ Case. By: Sam LaGrone https://news.usni.org/2017/09/22/former-naval-intelligence-chief-ted-branch-cleared-fat-leonard-case 2015/02/10 SECNAV Mabus Censures Three Admirals in Fallout from ‘Fat Leonard’ Investigation. By Sam LaGrone https://news.usni.org/2015/02/10/secnav-mabus-censures-three-admirals-fallout-fat-leonard-investigation Washington Post 2017/03/18 Navy officers convicted of corruption in ‘Fat Leonard’ scandal haven’t lost their pensions. By Craig Whitlock Gilbeau is one of seven current or former Navy officers who have pleaded guilty in an epic corruption and bribery scandal but are still eligible for generous retirement benefits, courtesy of U.S. taxpayers. https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/navy-officers-convicted-of-corruption-in-fat- leonard-scandal-havent-lost-their-pensions/2017/03/18/d60c6d4c-0363-11e7-b1e9- a05d3c21f7cf_story.html?utm_term=.43b5ebb4e105 2016/05/27 The Man Who Seduced the 7th Fleet. By Craig Whitlock http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/investigative/2016/05/27/the-man-who-seduced-the-7th- fleet/?utm_term=.eef4dec275a1 2016/01/21 Epic Navy bribery scandal shows how easy it can be to steal military secret. By Craig Whitlock https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2016/01/21/sentencing-in-epic-navy-bribery- scandal-shows-how-easy-it-was-to-steal-military-secrets/ Excerpt: Layug: In the scheme of things, Layug was a small fish – a petty officer first class assigned to the supply corps at a Navy base in Japan….But evidence gathered in Layug’s case exposes the simple and audacious nature of the bribery racket, including how easy it was for him to pilfer secrets, and how nobody noticed for years….In 2010, Layug was assigned to the USS Blue Ridge, the command flagship for the Navy’s 7th Fleet, based in Japan. The next year, he was transferred to the Navy’s Fleet Logistics Center in Yokosuka, Japan, where he helped to provide logistical support to Navy vessels throughout the Pacific. In those positions, Layug had easy access to two things Glenn Defense Marine dearly wanted: classified information about Navy ship movements, including which ports they intended to visit; and trade secrets about what the competition was charging to supply those vessels. According to federal investigators, it didn’t take much to buy off the sailor. First, a Glenn Defense Marine executive gave him an unlocked cell phone. Over time, as Layug proved cooperative, the defense contractor fed his appetite for consumer electronics, bribing him with an iPad 3, a Wii video game console, a Blackberry phone, a Sony VAIO laptop, and a Nikon D5200 digital camera, documents filed by prosecutors show. They also indulged his desire for a good time, providing him and his Navy buddies with free luxury hotel rooms during their visits to ports in Hong Kong, Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, according to the documents. Starting in May 2012, Layug also received an “allowance” of $1,000 per month from Glenn Defense Marine, usually in envelopes of cash, the document show. In exchange, on at least five occasions, Layug handed over classified information about Navy ship schedules. To gather the material, the sailor simply entered a secure room aboard the USS Blue Ridge, logged onto a classified computer terminal and printed out the schedules. All documents in the secure room had to be printed on pink paper, to signify that the material was classified. But Layug just added a blank cover sheet, walked off the ship and took the documents home, according to investigators….In contrast, prosecutors sought a 27-month prison term for Layug, contending that he put national security at risk by selling the classified ship schedules, which reveal the planned movement of Navy warships up to a year in advance. “As seems abundantly obvious, in the wrong hands, this information would provide a substantial advantage to those intent on doing our Sailors, our Navy, and our Nation harm, essentially allowing them to know when and where to plan an attack,” wrote Pletcher, the federal prosecutor overseeing the case. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2016/01/21/sentencing-in-epic-navy-bribery- scandal-shows-how-easy-it-was-to-steal-military-secrets/ 2015/07/17 Three US Admirals Censured [Pimpo, Miller, Kraft]. By Craig Whitlock Excerpt: The incidents occurred nearly a decade ago, while all three officers — Vice Adm. Michael H. Miller, Rear Adm. Terry B. Kraft and Rear Adm. David R. Pimpo — were assigned to the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier strike group… On Friday night, the Navy released a handful of documents that shed new light on the case but withheld many others. Journalists had sought the public records for the past five months under the Freedom of Information Act. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/three-us-admirals-censured-in-fat-leonard- corruption-probe/2015/07/17/7f29ca1a-2b1f-11e5-a5ea- cf74396e59ec_story.html?tid=a_inl&utm_term=.a80f03144f15 Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fat_Leonard_scandal 20 Committee 2015/01/16 Fat Leonard Sinks the Navy https://20committee.com/2015/01/16/fat-leonard-sinks-the-navy/ Excerpt: If the Navy expects to win the next war, it needs to restore confidence in its integrity, especially to its junior sailors, who see senior officers and admirals getting rich and living the high life, while their own careers, and often lives, can be ruined over a whiff of scandal regarding drink or women of the kind that sailors until recently would have termed “the weekend.” Puritanism for the lower ranks and wild (illegal) partying for the higher ranks is a great way to destroy morale. The FBI needs to be brought in to figure out what really happened in the Fat Leonard drama, since the NCIS was itself compromised in the scandal, moreover its track record on high-profile investigations is less than stellar. There are troubling counterintelligence aspects of the GDMA story that need full and proper investigation. Additionally, a high-ranking panel must be convened by the Pentagon to produce recommendations on how to clean up Navy culture, particularly among the senior ranks. No currently serving admirals should be involved, since they cannot be trusted to be impartial, but there are several retired admirals of genuine integrity out there who are deeply concerned about the state of the Navy and would be ideal here; they are in the phone book. The American public deserves believable assurances that the Fat Leonard scandal will not be repeated, and junior officers and enlisted sailors need to feel confident that there are not two tiers of expectations and justice in the U.S. Navy. If that is not repaired, and morale in the fleet is not properly restored, the consequences may be dire indeed, and played out in the Western Pacific sooner than you think. https://20committee.com/2015/01/16/fat-leonard-sinks-the-navy/ Updates: 2022/01/26; 2022/01/14 editing/additions of this page and of the Fat Leo section overall; moved comments to its own page; 2022/01/10-13; 2021/09/18 excess bold cleared; 2020/05/08 Fat Leonard Case divided into two pages because it had grown too long; important article added to Signficance/Start Here section: USNI/US Naval Institute-2019/01/24 2020/05/07 Fat Leonard Case transferred from River Gold to Police Factor; 11/18/2017 Leondro Aragoncillo; 05/14/2017;05/13/2017; 05/12/2017; 05/11/2017; 05/10/2017; 05/09/2017; 05/08/2017; 05/07/2017; 05/06/2017; 05/05/2017; 05/03/2017; 05/02/2017; 05/01/2017

Fat Leo Articles-Alpha (MIL CRIM-8c)

• ARTICLES o List of Articles