Navy Officer Sentenced To 30 Months In Expanding Bribery And Fraud Investigation

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information:

A U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for accepting cash, hotel expenses and the services of a prostitute from foreign defense contractor Glenn Defense Marine Asia (GDMA) in exchange for classified Navy information.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Alana Robinson of the Southern District of California, Director Dermot O’Reilly of the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and Director Andrew Traver of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) made the announcement.

In October 2016, Gentry Debord, 41, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and admitted that in 2007 he began a corrupt relationship with Leonard Glenn Francis, the former president and CEO of GDMA, a company that provided port services to U.S. Navy ships and submarines throughout the Pacific.  In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino of the Southern District of California ordered Debord to pay a $15,000 fine and $37,000 in restitution to the Navy.  

As part of the scheme, between 2007 and 2013, Debord accepted cash, luxury hotels and the services of prostitutes from Francis in exchange for proprietary Navy information that benefitted GDMA.  During this period, Debord served as a supply officer aboard the U.S.S. Essex and later as a logistics officer for the Pacific Fleet.  Debora further admitted that he 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.

To date, a total of 16 individuals have been charged in connection with the scheme; of those, 10 have pleaded guilty, including Debora, Admiral Robert Gilead, Captain Michael Brooks, Commander Bobby Pitts, Captain Daniel Dusk, Commander Michael Mickiewicz, Lt. Commander Todd Malaki, Commander Jose Luis Sanchez and U.S. Petty Officer First Class Daniel Layup.

On Jan. 21, 2016, Layup was sentenced to 27 months in prison and a $15,000 fine; on Jan. 29, 2016, Malaki was sentenced to 40 months in prison and to pay $15,000 in restitution to the Navy and a $15,000 fine.  On March 25, 2016, Dusk was sentenced to 46 months in prison and to pay $30,000 in restitution to the Navy and a $70,000 fine; and on April 29, 2016, Mickiewicz was sentenced to 78 months in prison and to pay a fine of $100,000 and to pay $95,000 in restitution to the Navy.  Beliveau was sentenced on Oct. 14, 2016, to 12 years in prison and to pay $20 million in restitution; Simpkins was sentenced on Dec. 2, 2016, to 72 months in prison; Brooks, Gilbeau and Sanchez await sentencing.  Pitts was charged in May 2016 and his case is pending.
           
DCIS, NCIS and the Defense Contract Audit Agency are investigating the case.  Assistant Chief Brian R. Young of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark W. Pletcher and Patrick Hovakimian of the Southern District of California are prosecuting the case.