(CNN) — Leonard Francis, the previous army contractor generally known as “Fats Leonard” who orchestrated the largest corruption scandal in US Navy historical past, is on the run after escaping home arrest in San Diego by reducing off his GPS monitoring ankle bracelet, in keeping with the U.S. Marshals Service.
The escape comes simply three weeks earlier than his sentencing.
The federal company monitoring Francis’ home arrest, Pretrial Companies, known as the San Diego Police Division on Sunday to test on him, Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Omar Castillo instructed CNN. When police found Francis’ dwelling empty, they contacted the marshals, Castillo stated.
Marshals discovered was the ankle bracelet he had lower off and left in a conveyable cooler.
Neighbors instructed the marshals that they'd just lately seen a number of U-Haul vans at Francis’ home, in keeping with Castillo.
“It seems he has been planning this for some time,” he instructed CNN.
The Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Activity Drive, San Diego division — which is run by the US Marshals — is looking for Francis.
Castillo stated the Naval Felony Investigative Service can be concerned as a result of they labored on the unique case.
“We've got just a few leads we’re following,” Castillo stated.
The San Diego Union-Tribune first reported Francis escaped home arrest.
Francis, whose nickname got here from his then 400-pound heft, pleaded responsible to bribery and fraud prices in 2015.
The investigation into the corruption scandal started in 2013 and touched on capitals and ports throughout the Pacific, together with Singapore, Tokyo, Bangkok and Manila. Through the probe, a number of Navy officers had been arrested and accused of accepting money, prostitutes and all-expenses-paid journeys in trade for steering ships to ports the place Francis’ contracting firm operated, offering companies reminiscent of gas and tugboats.
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