Another Navy Officer Pleads Guilty in Expanding Bribery and Fraud Investigation

[nitpicker]

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/another-navy-officer-pleads-guilty-expanding-bribery-and-fraud-investigation

Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Southern District of California

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, October 13, 2016

Another Navy Officer Pleads Guilty in Expanding Bribery and Fraud Investigation
(snip)

SAN DIEGO – U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Gentry Debord pleaded guilty to a bribery charge in federal court today, admitting that he accepted cash, luxury hotels and prostitutes from foreign defense contractor Leonard Glenn Francis in exchange for proprietary Navy information that benefitted Francis’ company, Glenn Defense Marine Asia.

Debord was so happy to receive lavish gifts that GDMA executives described him as “over the moon” and joked Debord swallowed their bribes, “hook, line and sinker,” according to instant messages quoted in the plea agreement. Debord also admitted that he instructed GDMA executives to inflate their invoices to the Navy to cover the cost of various illicit gifts provided to him.
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According to his plea agreement, from November 2007 to January 2013, Debord 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, as opportunities arose.
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So far, a total of 16 named individual defendants have been charged in connection with the GDMA corruption and fraud investigation. Of those, 11 are current or former U.S. Navy officials, including Debord, Admiral Robert Gilbeau, believed to be the first active-duty U.S. Navy flag officer charged in a federal criminal case; Captain (ret.) Michael Brooks; Commander Bobby Pitts; Captain Daniel Dusek; Commander Michael Misiewicz; Lt. Commander Todd Malaki; Commander Jose Luis Sanchez; Petty Officer First Class Daniel Layug; Naval Criminal Investigative Service Supervisory Special Agent John Beliveau; and Paul Simpkins, a former DoD civilian employee, who oversaw contracting in Singapore.
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Also charged are five GDMA executives – Francis, Alex Wisidagama, Ed Aruffo and Neil Peterson and Linda Raja. Three have pleaded guilty; Wisidagama was sentenced on March 18, 2016 to 63 months and $34.8 million in restitution to the Navy. Francis and Aruffo await sentencing; Peterson’s and Raja’s cases are pending.
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[Sherman A1]

1. Good

I really like the restitution part of the sentence described. I hope that there is much, much more of it in the sentences for the participants in the works.

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. I really doubt this is limited to the Naval branch of the services. n/t

[Sherman A1]

3. I agree

But, it's a start!