(PatriotWise.com)- An American Navy Commander has admitted to receiving bribes from a foreign defense contractor in Singapore who goes by the name “Fat Leonard.” The bribing scheme saw Commander Stephen Shedd given expensive meals, entertainment, lump-sum cash payments, access to prostitutes, and much more in return for classified information.\
Commander Shedd pleaded guilty to bribery charges that involved himself and nine other members of the Seventh Fleet leadership.
United States Attorney Randy Grossman said that the defendant admitted he was one of the 10 people whose allegiance switched from the United States and the United States Navy to Singapore-based Leonard Francis.
The attorney added that the abdication of these duties to the country and to the Navy “comes with heavy consequences”
The Navy Times reported that the “Fat Leonard” scheme saw the United States Navy charged $35 million more than they should have been across multiple contracts, thanks to Francis awarding those contracts to Leonard Francis.
Formerly the CEO of Glenn Defense Marine Asia and a citizen of Malaysia, Francis got his nickname as a result of his 350lb weight. And while Francis pleaded guilty to the bribing scheme back in 2015, he is still awaiting sentencing.
The cost of the bribes to Navy officials was less than the additional revenue he generated from securing the overpriced contract deals, making this a lucrative business for Francis and the 10 members of the U.S. Navy involved in the plot.
Shedd also handed out classified information in return for the bribes, including logistics data and ship schedules. He admitted to prosecutors that he would purposely “overlook inflated invoices” and would stand in the way of bids from competing contract offers.
