United States Navy captain Jesus Vasquez Cantu admitted in federal court yesterday (August 18) that he accepted bribes, including the services of multiple prostitutes, to pass critical information to Leonard Glenn Francis (aka Fat Leonard) and his Singapore-based Glenn Defense Marine Asia.

Cantu, 59, who had a “top secret” clearance, acknowledged, among many things, that Francis provided him with the services of two prostitutes on June 1, 2012, at the Hotel Singapore. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and is scheduled to be sentenced November 9 before U.S. district judge Janis L. Sammartino.

Cantu admitted that on numerous occasions in 2012 and 2013, Glenn took him and others for drinks and dinner at posh eating and drinking places and provided him prostitutes. As of now, 28 individuals, including 21 current and former Navy officials and 5 civilian defendants, plus Glenn’s company, have been charged as part of the investigation.

Cantu left the Navy in 2014. He had held high posts, including assistant chief of staff for logistics for the commander of the Seventh Fleet. Dermot O’Reilly, deputy inspector general for investigations in the Department of Defense, said that the Glenn case is the “largest fraud and corruption scandal in the U.S. Navy’s history.”

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SAVANNAH, GA – Anthony Tyrone Roper, 55, an active duty Colonel with the U. S. Army stationed at Fort Gordon; Audra Roper, 49, the wife of Colonel Roper; and Dwayne Oswald Fulton, 58, a former employee of a defense contracting firm, were indicted this week by a federal grand jury sitting in Savannah, Georgia for their alleged roles in a bribery and kickback scheme. Each of the Defendants reside in Augusta, Georgia. According to the allegations contained in the Indictment, beginning in 2008 and lasting almost a decade, Colonel Anthony Roper conspired with his wife, Fulton and others to solicit and accept cash bribes in exchange for rigging the award of over $20 million in U. S. Army contracts to selected individuals and companies. The indictment further alleges that in an attempt to hide their bribery and fraud schemes, the Defendants attempted to obstruct an official investigation into their criminal conduct.

Colonel Roper was charged with one count of conspiracy, three counts of bribery, four counts of false statements and one count of obstruction, with a maximum sentence of 85 years in prison and a $1.75 million fine. Audra Roper was charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of false statements and one count of obstruction, with a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison and a $750,000 fine. Fulton was charged with one count of conspiracy and one count of obstruction, with a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. An indictment is only an accusation and is not evidence of guilt. The Defendants are entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the Government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case has been investigated by Special Agent Preston T. Johnson of the U. S. Army, Criminal Investigations Division; Special Agent Randall J. Temples of the U. S. Department of Defense, Criminal Investigative Service; and, Special Agent Bryan M. Cofer of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General. The investigation of this case remains ongoing. Assistant U. S. Attorney C. Troy Clark and Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Durham are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. Any questions should be directed to the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (912) 201-2522.

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A U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for accepting cash, hotel expenses and the services of a prostitute from foreign defense contractor Glenn Defense Marine Asia (GDMA) in exchange for classified Navy information.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Alana Robinson of the Southern District of California, Director Dermot O’Reilly of the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and Director Andrew Traver of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) made the announcement.

In October 2016, Gentry Debord, 41, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and admitted that in 2007 he began a corrupt relationship with Leonard Glenn Francis, the former president and CEO of GDMA, a company that provided port services to U.S. Navy ships and submarines throughout the Pacific.  In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino of the Southern District of California ordered Debord to pay a $15,000 fine and $37,000 in restitution to the Navy.

As part of the scheme, between 2007 and 2013, Debord accepted cash, luxury hotels and the services of prostitutes from Francis in exchange for proprietary Navy information that benefitted GDMA.  During this period, Debord served as a supply officer aboard the U.S.S. Essex and later as a logistics officer for the Pacific Fleet.  Debora further admitted that he provided Francis and others with internal, proprietary U.S. Navy information; directed Francis and GDMA to inflate invoices to reflect services not rendered; advocated for the U.S. Navy to procure items from GDMA under its husbanding contracts; and otherwise used his position and influence in the U.S. Navy to advocate for and advance GDMA’s interests.

To date, a total of 16 individuals have been charged in connection with the scheme; of those, 10 have pleaded guilty, including Debora, Admiral Robert Gilead, Captain Michael Brooks, Commander Bobby Pitts, Captain Daniel Dusk, Commander Michael Mickiewicz, Lt. Commander Todd Malaki, Commander Jose Luis Sanchez and U.S. Petty Officer First Class Daniel Layup.

On Jan. 21, 2016, Layup was sentenced to 27 months in prison and a $15,000 fine; on Jan. 29, 2016, Malaki was sentenced to 40 months in prison and to pay $15,000 in restitution to the Navy and a $15,000 fine.  On March 25, 2016, Dusk was sentenced to 46 months in prison and to pay $30,000 in restitution to the Navy and a $70,000 fine; and on April 29, 2016, Mickiewicz was sentenced to 78 months in prison and to pay a fine of $100,000 and to pay $95,000 in restitution to the Navy.  Beliveau was sentenced on Oct. 14, 2016, to 12 years in prison and to pay $20 million in restitution; Simpkins was sentenced on Dec. 2, 2016, to 72 months in prison; Brooks, Gilbeau and Sanchez await sentencing.  Pitts was charged in May 2016 and his case is pending.

DCIS, NCIS and the Defense Contract Audit Agency are investigating the case.  Assistant Chief Brian R. Young of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark W. Pletcher and Patrick Hovakimian of the Southern District of California are prosecuting the case.

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Three current and former Navy officers have been indicted on charges of bribery, fraud and obstruction of justice in a prodigious scheme involving a contractor.

Retired Capt. Michael Brooks, 57, of Fairfax Station, Va.; Cmdr. Bobby Pitts, 47, of Chesapeake, Va.; and Singapore-based Lt. Cmdr. Gentry Debord, 47, were charged on May 25 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California on charges that they accepted bribes of prostitutes, hotel stays, meals and entertainment from Leonard Francis, former CEO of Singapore-based contractor Glenn Defense Marine Asia.

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