Leonard “Fat Leonard” Francis, a convicted defense contractor at the center of a major bribery scheme involving U.S. Navy officers, is facing extradition to the United States. His extradition is part of a prisoner swap with Venezuela. Francis, who owned Glenn Defense Marine Asia Ltd., provided Navy officers with bribes such as luxury items and sex parties in exchange for their involvement in overcharging the Navy for supplies and services at ports across Asia. After pleading guilty in 2015 and cooperating with the investigation, he escaped house arrest in 2022 but was later apprehended in Venezuela. His extradition is a significant development in a long-running case that has seen convictions overturned due to prosecutorial misconduct.

Best Coverage: https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2023/12/20/fat-leonard-fugitive-in-navy-bribery-case-now-facing-extradition/