Retired Navy admiral among officials indicted in 'Fat Leonard' bribery case
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Nine military officers, including a retired Navy admiral, were arrested Tuesday after being indicted in an ongoing bribery scandal.
The indictment, unsealed on Tuesday in San Diego, alleges that in return for providing classified information and other help to Leonard Francis, a Malaysian defense contractor nicknamed "Fat Leonard," retired Adm. Bruce Loveless and other officers were treated to extravagant trips, exorbitant dinners, and the services of prostitutes. Prosecutors say that Francis' company, Glenn Defense Marine Asia, fleeced the U.S. Navy out of $35 million by overcharging for items it supplied to ships in the Pacific, like food and water.
More than 20 former or current Navy officials have been charged over the past three years in connection with the scandal, and Francis has pleaded guilty and is waiting to be sentenced.
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
