by Alia Shoaib at Yahoo! News
A former Navy captain pleaded guilty to bribery on Wednesday for accepting nearly $68,000 in luxury hotel rooms, dinners, alcohol-fueled parties, and sex workers from a Singapore-based defense contractor.
In his plea agreement, Donald Hornbeck, 61, admitted to accepting the gifts from Malaysian businessman Leonard Glenn Francis, nicknamed “Fat Leonard.”
In exchange, Hornbeck shared confidential information with Francis and helped steer Seventh Fleet business to ports servicesd by Francis’ ship husbanding company that serviced US Navy ships in the Asia Pacific region.
Authorities say that Francis overbilled the Navy over the years by over $35 million.
According to the Department of Justice, Francis picked up the bill for Hornbeck and others in Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Japan, and Bangkok, Thailand, treating them to luxury hotels and lavish dinners of Wagyu beef lobster and caviar in top restaurants. In May 2008, in Manilla, the Philippines, he paid for a “multi-day party” that included sex workers.
Earlier that month, Francis hosted dinner at Mezza9 in Singapore, after which, Francis arranged for several sex workers to entertain Hornbeck and others, said the DOJ. The following day, Hornbeck emailed Francis to say thank you for a fantastic dinner. “Also really enjoyed my new Mongolian Friend,” a reference to a sex worker, to which Francis noted: “Hot Mongolian [B]arbeque Ribs!”
“While scores of Navy officials were partying with Leonard Francis, a massive breach of national security was in full swing,” US Attorney Randy Grossman said in a statement…
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