Leonard Francis, a fugitive from American justice known as “Fat Leonard”, will be extradited from Venezuela this Thursday (21) and is expected to arrive in Florida, in the United States, at the end of the day, said a senior Joe Biden government official.
“Fat Leonard,” originally from Malaysia, orchestrated the biggest corruption scandal in the history of the United States Navy. He pleaded guilty in the US to paying thousands of dollars to senior Navy officers to receive warship maintenance and supply contracts, but fled when he had to report to serve time.
Francis was arrested in September 2022, at Maiquetía airport, Venezuela’s main terminal, when he was preparing to travel to Russia.
He was included in the agreement between Venezuela and the United States to exchange prisoners on Wednesday (20), which also included the release of Alex Saab, an ally of Maduro, and 10 Americans.
Arrest in the USA and escape to Venezuela
Francis, whose nickname “Fat Leonard” comes from his previous weight of 180 kg, was arrested in the United States in 2013.
The investigation into the corruption scandal began in 2013 and covered capitals and ports across the Pacific, including Singapore, Tokyo, Bangkok and Manila.
During the investigation, several U.S. Navy officers were arrested and accused of accepting money, prostitutes, and all-expenses-paid trips in exchange for taking ships to ports where Francis’s contracting company, which provided fuel and tug services, operated. .
He pleaded guilty to bribery and fraud charges in 2015.
In 2022, “Fat Leonard” escaped from house arrest in San Diego by cutting off his ankle bracelet, Deputy U.S. Marshal Omar Castillo told CNN in season. Francis escaped just three weeks before the sentence was imposed.
In view of this, the US federal police presented the so-called “Red Notice” to the multinational police organization Interpol. A red notice is a global request to participating Interpol members to provisionally arrest a wanted suspect pending further legal action, such as extradition.
Francis entered Venezuela after traveling through Mexico and Cuba and was arrested at Simón Bolívar International Airport near Caracas while trying to travel to Russia, according to a social media post from Venezuelan authorities at the time.
Leonard Francis was detained in Venezuela at the request of the US Marshals Service.
Extradition to the United States
To extradite “Fat Leonard”, Joe Biden had to grant a pardon to Alex Saab, an ally of Nicolás Maduro. The decision was considered “difficult” by American authorities.
“To make this exchange, the president had to make the difficult decision to offer something that Venezuelan counterparts have been actively seeking, and made the decision to grant a pardon to Alex Saab, who was pending trial for money laundering, and allow the return for Venezuela”, pondered a senior government official.
“His return to the United States will ensure that he is held accountable for his crimes, as well as his attempt to escape justice,” said the official who spoke to CNN in December 2023.
*with reporting by Osmary Hernandez, Josh Campbell and Mary Kay Mallonee of CNN
Source: CNN Brasil
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