U.S. Navy Commander Pleads Guilty to Accepting Prostitutes, Trips as Bribes

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Friday January 9, 2015

Former U.S. Navy Commander Jose Luis Sanchez has pleaded guilty to charges that he accepted up to $120,000 worth of bribes in exchange for releasing confidential marine information to a Singapore-based marine defence contractor, reports The New York Times.

Sanchez was accused in 2013 of leaking information about ship and submarine schedules to Leonard Glenn Francis, the CEO of Glenn Defence Marine Asia Ltd., including the fact that the company was being investigated for potential fraud.

"Commander Sanchez sold out his command and country for cash bribes, luxury hotel rooms, and the services of prostitutes," said Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell.

"After today's guilty plea, instead of free stays at the Shangri-La hotel, Sanchez is facing many nights in federal prison."

The bribes allegedly took place between 2009 and 2013, and were worth between $30,000 and $120,000.

Francis, who was known as "Fat Leonard," was arrested in 2013, and has pleaded not guilty to claims that he overcharged the Navy by $20 million for port services in Asia and tried to gain multimillion-dollar government contracts through bribes.

Sanchez faces up to 20 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for March 27, 2015.

He is the highest ranking official so far to plead guilty to the charges of bribery, and the second navy officer to do so after Petty Officer Daniel Layug.

Various other naval officers have also been charged or fired for leaking information to Francis.

Ship & Bunker News Team
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