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Leonard Glenn Francis, the Malaysian contractor known as "Fat Leonard" and the mastermind behind the largest corruption scandal in the history of the United States Navy, revealed for the first time how he used Cuba as a stopover in his dramatic flight from American justice in 2022, convinced that the island would offer him a safe route to Venezuela.
In an exclusive interview granted to The Washington Post, the first he has given in 12 years, Francis detailed from the Federal Correctional Institution in Lompoc, California, where he is serving a 15-year prison sentence, the specifics of an escape that kept U.S. authorities on edge for over two weeks.
A getaway with a stop in Havana
In the early hours of the Labor Day weekend in 2022, Francis took advantage of the absence of the guard assigned to monitor him during his house arrest in San Diego to remove his electronic ankle bracelet and escape.
He took a ride-sharing vehicle to the border with Mexico, crossed on foot into Tijuana, and boarded a Gulfstream private jet that was waiting for him to start a route with a final destination in Venezuela.
Before, however, he chose to make a stop in Cuba.
He explained that he made that decision for two reasons: the perception that the island does not extradite fugitives sought by the United States, and the existence of direct flights from Havana to Venezuelan territory.
The plane made two stops in Mexico to refuel and to have an immigration official stamp his new Malaysian passport without asking questions. That same night, it landed in Havana, where he entered the country as just another tourist.
Several days hidden in Cuba
Francis stayed in the Cuban capital for several days while trying to secure a flight to Venezuela.
On September 6, 2022, just two days after the escape, the United States Marshals Service officially declared him a fugitive and offered a reward of $40,000 for information leading to his capture.
Despite being subject to a Red Notice from Interpol, he asserted that when he finally boarded a flight from Havana to Margarita Island, the Cuban immigration system detected the alert, but the immigration officer allowed him to travel.
Capture in Venezuela
The escape ended on September 20, 2022, when he was arrested at the Caracas airport after being on the run for 16 days.
Venezuelan authorities held him for 14 months at El Helicoide, the headquarters of SEBIN known for housing political prisoners and high-profile detainees.
Francis recounted that he initially stayed in a cell he described as "a dungeon," infested with cockroaches and rats. However, he stated that his situation improved as his value grew as a bargaining chip between Caracas and Washington.
According to his testimony, even Nicolás Maduro's personal doctor oversaw his medical treatment before he was moved to a privileged area of the prison.
In December 2023, Venezuela handed him over to the United States as part of the prisoner exchange that facilitated the release of Colombian businessman Alex Saab, a chavista ally accused of money laundering in Miami, along with 10 U.S. citizens detained in that country.
The man behind the biggest corruption scandal in the U.S. Navy
Leonard Glenn Francis was for years the main logistics contractor for the United States Navy in Asia through his company Glenn Defense Marine Asia (GDMA).
U.S. authorities consider him the mastermind of a corruption network that, for over two decades, bribed dozens of officials with prostitutes, luxury hotels, champagne, exclusive trips, and dinners in exchange for confidential information and inflated contracts to supply warships in Asian ports.
The scandal prompted an investigation into more than 90 admirals and dozens of Navy officers. In total, about 40 people were prosecuted, although Francis is the only one still in prison today.
Seeking a pardon from Trump
At 61 years old, Francis is now preparing a clemency application addressed to President Donald Trump.
It states that the investigation was marked by errors from the prosecutors of the Department of Justice during the Biden administration and argues that those mistakes impacted the judicial process.
Additionally, he claims to be suffering from stage 4 kidney cancer and fears he may not survive until the expected date for his release, at the end of 2030.
When consulted by The Washington Post, the White House declined to comment on the case and stated only that "President Trump is the one who makes the final decision on all actions related to clemency."
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