‘Fat Leonard,’ the mastermind of a Navy fraud scheme, had a life of leisure, relaxed security during his years of home confinement
“He’s not going anywhere,” one of his defense attorneys, Devin Burstein, assured the judge in late 2020.known as “Fat Leonard” because of his 6-2, 350-pound frame eventually did go somewhere, cutting off his ankle monitor this past Labor Day weekend and fleeing the San Diego mansion where he had been living with private security staff that he paid for under a court-approved deal meant to prevent his escape.
during his years in home detention. He hired servants to meet his family’s every need and undermined the court’s security requirements aimed at keeping him from fleeing Galvan said that there was never anyone on duty when he arrived or left and that he spent much of his time opening Amazon boxes. Francis’s escape has drawn additional scrutiny to the federal judge, the U.S. attorney’s office, Pretrial Services and the U.S. Marshals Service for their roles in his unusual confinement. And whether Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro
Court transcripts at other times show the judge and attorneys discussing the need to take a deposition with Francis to preserve his testimony should he not survive to help at trials. The judge, the U.S. attorney’s office and Pretrial Services did not respond to interview requests. The U.S. Marshal’s Service responded to an interview request with a statement that said, “The U.S. Department of Justice generally does not comment on extradition-related matters until a defendant is in the United States.”Francis was only three weeks shy of his sentencing date, scheduled for Sept.
In December 2020, a Pretrial Services official arrived in late morning at Francis’s home, found no security present and alerted the judge, who called a hearing. Joseph Mancano, a defense attorney for a retired Navy captain convicted in Francis’s scheme, said the episode illustrated how the government should have been more careful in its handling of Francis, particularly given how many people he had hoodwinked as part of his fraudulent business. He noted that Francis still owes the government $30 million in restitution.
The security system met its ultimate test about 7:30 a.m. on Sept. 4, according to a timeline provided by a U.S. Marshals spokesman in response to questions sent by The Post before Francis’s capture. “He became more and more morose as time went on, but it was natural to see him that way because you’re coming up against this thing that is going to change the course of your life,” she said. “You don’t know what’s going to happen. I remember the last time I saw him, and I could just see his face and it was so sad.”
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