SAN DIEGO — Leonard “Fat Leonard” Francis, a former defense contractor with military ties, was sentenced on Tuesday to 15 years in prison for orchestrating a bribery operation that spanned over ten years and implicated numerous U.S. Navy personnel, according to federal prosecutors.

U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino imposed additional financial penalties on Francis, requiring him to pay $20 million in restitution to the Navy alongside a fine of $150,000. Furthermore, he has been mandated to forfeit an impressive $35 million, which has been characterized as the proceeds of his wrongful activities.

Prosecutors highlighted that this sentencing is a culmination of Francis’ initial guilty plea from 2015 related to charges of bribery and fraud. His cooperation with authorities during the investigations has been extensive, and he also entered another guilty plea on Tuesday regarding his failure to appear for an earlier sentencing date in 2022.