Ex-Navy Captain Sentenced To 2-Plus Years In Fat Leonard Bribery Case

By Editor, Times of San Diego

February 2, 2023

A former U.S. Navy captain was sentenced in San Diego federal court Thursday to two years and six months in federal prison in the ongoing Fat Leonard corruption case.

David Williams Haas, 54, accepted more than $90,000 worth of bribes from foreign defense contractor Leonard Glenn “Fat Leonard” Francis, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Haas took “luxurious hotel stays, travel and prostitutes” from Francis between 2011 and 2013, prosecutors said. Like other Navy officers implicated in the scandal, Haas was accused of helping steer Navy ships to ports controlled by Francis’ ship company, Glenn Defense Marine Asia.

According to a sentencing memorandum, Haas’ responsibilities included “directing the day-to-day operations for all U.S. Navy ships operating within the Seventh Fleet’s area of responsibility, as well as setting the schedules for these ships,” which allowed him to arrange visits to GDMA-controlled ports when Francis requested.

On one such occasion, the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis made a port visit to Sepangar, Malaysia at Francis’ behest. GDMA billed the Navy more than $2.7 million for the visit, prosecutors said.

When investigators began looking into allegations that GDMA had overbilled for port visits, prosecutors said Haas defended GDMA to others in the Navy and advised Francis on how to respond to the accusations.

Haas was indicted in 2018 and pleaded guilty two years later to conspiracy to commit bribery. In addition to prison, Haas was ordered to pay a $30,000 fine and $90,968.82 in restitution.

In a letter submitted by his defense attorney, Haas wrote, “The prosecution will more than likely say that I was a good Naval officer and a great operator, and for exactly that reason, I, more than anyone, should have known that my relationship with Mr. Francis was wrong. I am not going to counter that. The prosecution is absolutely right.”

Four other Navy officers were convicted last year of accepting bribes during a jury trial held in San Diego.

The long-running fraud and bribery investigation has resulted in federal criminal charges against 34 U.S. Navy officials, defense contractors and the GDMA corporation; 33 defendants have pleaded guilty or been convicted of various fraud and corruption offenses.

The probe was conducted by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Naval Criminal Investigative Service and Defense Contract Audit Agency.

Francis pleaded guilty in 2015 and was on house arrest in San Diego for several years due to health issues. He fled the country last year, but was arrested in Venezuela, where he remains in custody.

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