Navy Commander Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribes
Yesterday, CDR Jose Luis Sanchez pleaded guilty in Federal court to the crime of accepting bribes. He was the fifth individual and second member of the US Navy to plead guilty in connection with the Glenn Defense Marine Asia, Ltd. (AKA GDMA) scandal. Prosecutors have alleged that this scandal was based on insider information and allowed GDMA to overbill the US Navy for support for years, costing Uncle Sam at least $20 million.
Sanchez admitted taking bribes valued between $30,000 and $120,000 from 2009 to 2013, including a prostitute, $7,500 to travel from Asia to the United States and five days at Singapore’s luxury Shangri-La Hotel, according to a 24-page plea agreement. In exchange, he provided classified Navy ship and submarine schedules and other internal information to Leonard Glenn Francis, chief executive of a Singapore-based company that provided services to vessels at ports.
The other member of the USN to plead guilty so far – Petty Officer (precise rank not specified) Daniel Layug – also admitted to providing classified Navy shipping schedules to Francis.
Francis – termed “Fat Leonard” by his confidants – was previously arrested (Sep 2013) on charges connected to the scandal. He has pleaded not guilty.
Sanchez was arrested as part of the same bribery scandal for which CDR(P) Michael Vannak Khem Misiewicz – who Jonn’s previously written about here at TAH – was arrested about 16 months ago. Misiewicz was arrested on charges related to his own separate dealings with Leonard. After being arrested, Misiewicz pleaded not guilty charges of conspiracy to commit bribery.
Sanchez’s guilty plea yesterday included a five-page addendum that remains under seal. Perhaps coincidentally, CDR Misiewicz was indicted yesterday on seven (7) additional counts related to the scandal. It does not appear that he’s yet entered a plea regarding the new charges against him.
Sanchez is facing a maximum of 20 years in Federal prison. He’s currently out on bail awaiting sentencing. He apparently needs his own assets to pay his lawyers, so he’s convinced his mother and sister to back his bail bond with their assets.
Personally, I hope the courts absolutely body-slam every one of these guys damned hard when they’re convicted. To wit: a minimum of 5 or 7 years hard time for each, and preferably closer to the max sentences allowed under law.
That particularly goes for any military or Federal civilian personnel involved. These people were in positions of public trust; they betrayed that trust for a pittance. I think each needs at least 5 years – and preferably more – to reflect on both their sh!tbaggery and the pittance they received for selling-out Uncle Sam’s interests.
Was it worth it, assholes? Was it?
Don’t answer right away. You can give us your answer when you get out of prison – if you ever do.
It’s OK by me if you die behind bars. But that’s not my call.
Category: "Your Tax Dollars At Work", Crime, Navy, Shitbags
“In exchange, he provided classified Navy ship and submarine schedules and other internal information to Leonard Glenn Francis, chief executive of a Singapore-based company that provided services to vessels at ports.”
This is treason. This is TREASON. THIS IS MOTHERFUCKING TREASON. Why is it not being prosecuted as such? Oh right. High ranking officers literally get wristslapped for this kind of dickery.
FasterThanFastJack: treason? No. Specific requirements under the Constitution for that crime; they aren’t met here.
Unauthorized disclosure of classified defense info? You betcha. As well a accepting bribes.
And it wasn’t only officers involved. One of the Navy guys giving classified info to Francis so he could (allegedly) perpetrate the scam was a Petty Officer.
Ok yeah, went to check the official wording and that’s true enough; but still, this is pretty freakin’ heinous on its own. Any idea on what the max sentence would look like for this?
As I read 18 USC 793, the perp in such a case could get up to 10 years – per violation. Each schedule disclosed would constitute a separate violation.
Sure it was worth it, right up until the time they were caught. Sanchez, Khem Misiewicz, Layug and Fat Francis. Sounds like they nailed a UN delegation and one mafioso.
I wonder if All-Points Logistics is involved in this?
I always wondered how fucking stevedores knew our schedule better than we did half the time. Guess I shouldn’t be surprised.
Burn ’em all.
And all the bars from Olongapo to Mombasa. Knew the ships and units and had signs hanging to welcome us.
It was the cook. It’s always the cook.
Way to go, you slimy bastards.
Pretty sure this is the case which also involved the CDR of ONI, RDML Loveless, who had his clearance pulled, but he still stayed as CDR ONI.
The Navy FINALLY got someone else in ONI after an extended period of time.
What a pile of BS.
MustangCryppie, I believe you are reading too much into the administrative action taken regarding VADM Branch, RDML Loveless and another Navy captain who had worked at C7F. This is a DOJ investigation and the Navy took this action because they were somehow implicated, but it is not clear if they violated any criminal laws. For example, the Navy captain was the Ops O at C7F under whom this scumbag and others worked. If and until DOJ charges these guys, I think we need to give them the benefit of the doubt and not slime them with the intentional actions of this scumbag, the scumbag NCIS agent who kept Fat Leonard abreast of the investigation and the petty officer. I think it is telling that Branch, Loveless and the other captain have NOT been charged two years later. DOJ could care less about the impact on their careers and the potential damage it is doing to their professional and personal honor. If it comes out that they had violated the law, then throw the book at them. However, I suspect when this saga finally ends, VADM Branch, RDML Loveless and others will be able to retire because there is no evidence of criminal wrongdoing against them. Cheers.
The petty officer (Layug) was a PO1 (E-6). The government case must be pretty strong, because CDR Turkey Neck here is the fifth of seven to plead guilty. Hell, even Leonard’s own cousin rolled on him.
Thanks for the update, W2.
If 5 of 7 have copped a plea, that means Francis and Misiewicz are the only two holdouts. Wonder whether Francis or Misiewicz will be the next to turn and sell out the other – or if both will decide to “roll the dice” in front of a jury?
I think the government wants Misiewicz really bad because of the damage he was able to do as C7F Deputy N3. He actually was able to influence CVN and CSG port visits in that job and steered a number of port visits to places where GDMA could rob and steal. Once Sanchez rolled, they charged Misiewicz with seven more counts of bribery. Seems like the two events would be connected. I think they are going to hang the last two defendants out to dry as an example to others. IMO, Sanchez should have hung with the other two. When you are stupid enough to send SECRET NOFORN ship’s movements as an attachment over an unsecured commercial e-mail service then you need to go down hard (yes, he actually did that).
Hondo, forgot to mention this little tidbit – you guys seem to be pretty good searching with PACER. Put Leonard Glenn Francis in the search portion, grab some popcorn and a six pack and read the complaints and other assorted documents in the rather extensive history section. I sure ain’t no legal beagle, but most of the stuff is layman understandable. There’s a bunch of documents and it goes into pretty good detail what these dumbasses did, and what they got in return for selling out the USN.
Reminds me of the WWII advice, “Loose lips sink ships”. Giving a potential enemy of a nation who would in turn sell this information to a known enemy is called giving “classified ship and submarine movements schedules” to an enemy or foreign power. Whether for ideological or monetary reasons in my mind it is treason. I hope all convicted do life without at hard labor. Turds!!! Assholes and worthless treasonous cowards. For what, a whore, some bucks and a nice hotel stay, they sold out their nation!!!
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7490/15605685443_52e80a7825_b.jpg
Re: Question posed by picture. Information extracted from DA Form 2064 maintained by S-4 Section, 741st MI Bn. Document Number 4349-0402. NSN: 8455-00-269-5750 Noun Nomenclature: Army Commendation Medal Set Current Status: On Backorder Expected Delivery Date: When Hell Freezes Over or Pigs Fly, whichever comes first.
3/4 hemp Manila line. Mainmast yard arm. Enough said.
Nah, bring back some of the old punishments.
Keelhauling would be a good one. If an aircraft carrier is involved. Or a submarine at test depth. That works too.
Wouldn’t want a skimmer puke like this messing up my submarine.
Especially when we’re fresh off the blocks, and ready to get out and hide.
I think fitting punishment for starters for this sleazebag would be to spend several hours in the bone-chilling cold helping the plumber fix my clogged plumbing, which has an ice dam on the outside, which means it’s a broken pipe.
Like I said, for starters, and then he can spend the rest of this winter cleaning sidewalks around here in his skivvies and a pair of flipflops. And he can pay the plumber for me.
Sorry, I just need someone to flog right now and he’s a good start.
I like your style.
Hey Ex-PH2, please let me know when you’re through with him and afterward (I’ll pay for shipping him to my AO in a steel box), I’ll use him to finish cleaning out our septic tank next time I have it pumped, I’ll lower him in there with a small plastic dustpan and a bucket for him to finish cleaning it out while he’s wearing only a swimsuit! After that, I’ll put him back in his box and ship him to whoever calls “next dibs”. I always say “Ladies First”, and you spoke first to boot!!
Hmmm. The Ol’ dirty Sanchez..
HELLO!! You saw the part about the free hooker, right? RIGHT??