Military

Fugitive ‘Fat Leonard’ Nabbed in Venezuela on Interpol Warrant

September 22, 2022Carl Prine
The portly and corrupt Malaysian military contractor Leonard Glenn “Fat Leonard” Francis, 57, was detained on an Interpol "Red Notice" on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022, in Venezuela. Interpol Venezuela OCN Caracas photo.

The portly and corrupt Malaysian military contractor Leonard Glenn “Fat Leonard” Francis, 57, was detained on an Interpol "Red Notice" on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022, in Venezuela. Interpol Venezuela OCN Caracas photo.

Venezuelan authorities have nabbed the famous fugitive “Fat Leonard,” and he’s awaiting repatriation to the US, thanks to Interpol and the US Marshals.

The portly and corrupt Malaysian military contractor Leonard Glenn “Fat Leonard” Francis, 57, had been missing since he removed his Global Positioning System tracker around 7:30 a.m. on Sept. 4 at his mansion in the Carmel Valley section of San Diego County.

“He was apprehended Tuesday, late morning, in Venezuela,” Omar Castillo, the supervisory deputy US marshal in San Diego, told Coffee or Die Magazine. “We had filed a Red Notice with Interpol, and now it’s up to the lawyers.”

Although Venezuela is a member of the international policing consortium and Caracas inked an extradition treaty with the US a century ago, diplomatic relations between the two nations have been chilly for two decades. But Castillo said he’s prepared to follow US protocols, which involve sending two deputy US marshals to Venezuela to escort the fugitive back by plane.

Castillo told Coffee or Die he’d like to be one of those federal agents. 

Fat Leonard

Corrupt defense contractor Leonard Glenn “Fat Leonard” Francis, 57, has vanished from his Carmel Valley, California, home, only weeks before he was slated to be sentenced for his role in a $35 million scheme to defraud the US taxpayer. Coffee or Die Magazine composite.

Castillo said US authorities had tracked Fat Leonard to Mexico, and they suspected he’d flown out to Cuba or Venezuela.

On Wednesday, Carlos Gárate Rondón, the director of the national central office that acts as a liaison between Interpol and the Venezuelan government, took to his social media accounts to announceEn the capture of Francis.

Citing Red Notice A-7578/9-2022 from the US Marshals Service in Washington, DC — which urged all Interpol member law enforcement agencies to immediately arrest Francis on bribery and corruption charges — Rondón said the fugitive had flown from Mexico to Cuba and then on to Venezuela, with a final destination in Russia.

Venezuelan authorities caught up to Francis inside Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía on Tuesday and detained him for extradition, according to Rondón. t

Fat Leonard

Corrupt defense contractor Leonard Glenn “Fat Leonard” Francis, 57, vanished from his Carmel Valley, California, home on Sept. 4, 2022, only weeks before he was slated to be sentenced for his role in a $35 million scheme to defraud the US taxpayer. Composite by Coffee or Die Magazine.

Nabbed in a federal undercover sting operation in 2013, Fat Leonard pleaded guilty to bribery and fraud charges two years later.

He quickly became a star witness for federal prosecutors in a string of more than 30 high-profile convictions of senior commissioned and enlisted non-commissioned officers and civilian officials.

They including Rear Adm. Robert Gilbeau; Capt. Daniel Dusek, the ex- commander of the amphibious warship Bonhomme Richard; and Capt. David A. “Too Tall” Lausman, the former skipper of the aircraft carrier George Washington and the flagship of the US 7th Fleet, Blue Ridge.

On house confinement since 2018 due to reported health problems, the Malaysian tycoon repeatedly has told investigators and juries his tales of plying senior sailors with prostitutes, cash bribes, champagne feasts, and luxury resort accommodations across the Pacific Rim in exchange for lucrative ship husbanding contracts when the vessels pulled into the “pearl ports” controlled by his Singapore-based company, Glenn Defense Marine Asia.

Francis was slated to be sentenced Sept. 22 in San Diego. He faces up to 25 years behind bars.

Read Next: NY Marine Veteran Urges Car Thief To Return Stolen Dress Blues

Carl Prine
Carl Prine

Carl Prine is a former senior editor at Coffee or Die Magazine. He has worked at Navy Times, The San Diego Union-Tribune, and Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He served in the Marine Corps and the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. His awards include the Joseph Galloway Award for Distinguished Reporting on the military, a first prize from Investigative Reporters & Editors, and the Combat Infantryman Badge.

More from Coffee or Die Magazine
navy seal training
Navy SEALS Training Plagued by Massive Problems, According To Investigation

Medical oversight and care were “poorly organized, poorly integrated and poorly led and put candidat...

memorial day arlington
Memorial Day Is a Day of Remembrance, Not Celebration

Memorial Day was created as a remembrance to honor the fallen by decorating graves — a holiday meant...

air force joint chiefs
Air Force Fighter Pilot Tapped As Next Joint Chiefs Chairman Has History of Firsts

The Air Force fighter pilot about to be nominated as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ...

sowf special operations warrior foundation
BRCC Donates $500K to Special Operations Warrior Foundation

In an effort to continue Black Rifle Coffee Company’s mission of supporting the veteran community, B...

Coca Cola 600
BRCC to Honor Fallen Marine During NASCAR’s Legendary Coca-Cola 600

Black Rifle Coffee Company will honor Marine Gunnery Sgt. Joseph Menusa during NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 this Memorial Day. Menusa was killed in 2003 during the invasion of Iraq.

uss gerald r. ford oslo
US Aircraft Carrier Arrives In NATO Member Norway, To Take Part In Drills

The nuclear-powered ship USS Gerald R. Ford entered the Oslo fjord escorted by a rapid dinghy-type boat with armed personnel on board.

adam driver indy 500
Marine Vet, Actor Adam Driver Named Honorary Starter for Indianapolis 500

Two-time Academy Award nominee Adam Driver, who will soon be starring as Enzo Ferrari in a biopic of...

  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
Contact Us
  • Request a Correction
  • Write for Us
  • General Inquiries
© 2023 Coffee or Die Magazine. All Rights Reserved