Leonard Glenn Francis
25 November 2020
Retired U.S. Navy servicemen Capt. David Haas and Chief Petty Officer Brooks Alonzo Parks have pled guilty to corruption charges in connection with the long-running Leonard (“Fat Leonard”) Francis corruption scandal.
Francis’ ship maintenance company – Glenn Defense Marine Asia(GDMA) provided a group of officers at U.S. 7th Fleet with bribes in exchange for information and assistance that allowed GDMA to over bill the Navy for goods and services.
Capt. Haas allegedly helped to direct the carrier USS John C. Stennis to call at a GDMA-served port in Malaysia, resulting in $2.7 million in revenue for GDMA. Haas faced eight counts charges in total, including six counts of bribery for receiving goods and services. Inducements offered to Haas were similar to those offered to other Naval officers in the previous cases. The usual inducements were luxury hotel rooms, nightclub parties, dinners and the services of prostitutes. Haas allegedly attended a “Cinderella Liberty” party in Indonesia, which involved nightclub outings and prostitution.
Haas pled guilty to a single charge of conspiracy to commit bribery, an offence with a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. He has agreed to pay restitution in the amount of about $90,000.
Former U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Brooks Alonzo Parks was sentenced today to 27 months in prison and $25,405.76 in restitution for federal bribery conspiracy charges by U.S. District court. Parks admitted that from March 2006 through March 2010, Francis paid for lavish hotel accommodations for Parks and his friends throughout Asia, as the USS Blue Ridge came into port. Parks had expensive taste and In one instance, Parks demanded the $4,800 per night Ritz Carlton Suite in Singapore, though he was ultimately provided Executive Club Rooms at the Singapore Hilton at a cost of $3,400 for himself and his friends. In another instance related to a port visit in Hong Kong, Parks demanded “3 suites at a 5-star hotel,” for himself. In return for these bribes, Parks approved and expedited GDMA invoices and payment requests, provided substantial bidding and pricing information to GDMA as part of GDMA’s effort to crush its competitor in the Philippines.
Francis pleaded guilty in 2015 to bribery and fraud charges, admitting that he maneuvered a massive, decade-long conspiracy involving scores of U.S. Navy officials, and millions of dollars in bribes – from cash, prostitutes and luxury travel accommodations to Cuban cigars, Kobe beef and Spanish suckling pigs.
In this scam the prosecutors have charged 32 defendants and 20 have pleaded guilty to public corruption charges over the past five years. Probably the scam cost Navy some $35 million.
From the website of Department of Justice, Southern District of California.
