Former Navy contractor Leonard Francis, also known as "Fat Leonard," the mastermind of one of the largest U.S. military bribery scandals, was sentenced Tuesday to 15 years in prison for his role in the scheme, according to federal prosecutors.

U.S. District Judge Janis Sammartino handed down a 164-month sentence for bribery and fraud and another 16 months for failing to appear after Francis fled to Venezuela from the United States in September 2022 weeks before he was originally to be sentenced, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement.

Sammartino also ordered Francis to pay $20 million in restitution to the Navy, pay a $150,000 fine and forfeit $35 million in “ill-gotten proceeds from his........

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