Fat Leonard

On March 14, 2017, The Department of Justice announced that retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Bruce Loveless and eight other high-ranking Navy officers had been indicted for accepting luxury travel, elaborate dinners, and services of prostitutes from foreign defense contractor “Fat Leonard” Francis in exchange for classified and internal U.S. Navy information.

The group of indicted officers have been described as a ‘tight group — calling themselves a “Band of Brothers” and “Cool Kids.”’  As their trial date finally approaches, now scheduled for November, the tight group may be growing apart. 

A week ago, retired Chief Warrant Officer Robert Gorsuch pleaded guilty to his role in the long-running bribery scandal.

On Friday, retired U.S. Marine Corps Colonel Enrico DeGuzman, 63, pleaded guilty to accepting more than $67,000 in hotel stays, extravagant meals and other perks from “Fat Leonard.”

DeGuzman pleaded guilty to a charge of bribery of a public official and admitted to sharing confidential information on ship movements with Francis while helping with “evaluating and indoctrinating potential new Navy members into Francis’s cabal,” the attorney’s office said in a statement announcing the guilty plea. DeGuzman faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The remaining officers awaiting trial include retired Rear Adm. Bruce Loveless, 53; retired Capt. David Newland, 60; retired Capt. James Dolan, 58; retired Capt. Donald Hornbeck, 56; retired Capt. David Lausman, 62; Cmdr. Stephen Shedd, 43; and retired Cmdr. Mario Herrera, 48.