Retired Capt. Jesus Vasquez Cantu, a former assistant chief of staff for U.S. 7th Fleet, recently was sentenced to 30 months in prison for his part in the Fat Leonard case. (File)
A former assistant chief of staff for U.S. 7th Fleet who accepted lavish gifts and prostitution services in the largest and longest-running bribery scandal in Navy history was sentenced to 2½ years in prison, according to federal prosecutors.
Retired Capt. Jesus Vasquez Cantu also was ordered to pay a $75,000 fine and $100,000 restitution to the Navy as part of a plea agreement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California said in a statement Feb. 23, the day of Cantu’s sentencing.
Cantu admitted that he had given proprietary information to wealthy Malaysian defense contractor Leonard Glenn “Fat Leonard” Francis in return for drinks and dinners at top-notch restaurants, nightclubs and karaoke bars and the services of sex workers in 2012 and 2013, according to the statement.
At the time, Cantu was the deputy commander of Military Sealift Command Far East in Singapore and oversaw logistical sustainment to Navy ships in 7th Fleet.
Cantu also admitted in the plea agreement that he and others participated in a bribery conspiracy with Francis in 2007, when he was assistant chief of staff for logistics for the 7th Fleet commander aboard the amphibious command ship USS Blue Ridge, prosecutors said.
Francis, who pleaded guilty in 2015 to bribing military officials to obtain classified and unclassified information to benefit his Singapore-based business, Glenn Defense Marine Asia Ltd., was under house arrest in San Diego and awaiting sentencing when he cut off his monitoring bracelet on Sept. 4, 2022, and fled the United States.
He was captured a little more than two weeks later in Venezuela as he attempted to board a flight to Russia. Francis remains there as U.S. officials seek his extradition, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported Thursday.
Francis’ bribery scheme took place from 2006 to 2014, mostly targeting Navy officials and others associated with the Japan-based U.S. 7th Fleet. That ultimately allowed him to overcharge for servicing Navy ships by at least $35 million.
As of September 2022, 34 military officials had been charged by federal prosecutors in the case. Four were convicted at trial and 29 pleaded guilty.
Just one, retired Rear Adm. Bruce Loveless, had the charges dropped. Loveless was accused of conspiracy, bribery and fraud.
Dozens of others who were ensnared in the investigation received administrative punishments. Among them were three rear admirals who were censured in 2015.
