Lenard Glenn Francis, a notorious con man and fugitive from American justice, thought he was on the cusp of freedom when Venezuelan officials tricked him into thinking he would be released from custody for medical treatment. This plan, however, turned out to be a ruse to ensure his transfer back to U.S. custody as part of a secret prisoner swap between Venezuela and the United States.
Instead of being released, Francis was flown from Caracas to the tiny Caribbean island of Canouan where he and 10 other Americans held prisoner in Venezuela were handed over to U.S. officials in exchange for a Venezuelan diplomat facing money laundering charges in Florida.
He was then transported to Miami, where he remains in a federal prison. It is expected that he will be transferred to San Diego, where he will finally be sentenced for the extensive corruption case he was involved in.
Francis, also known as “Fat Leonard,” had fled from U.S. officials for 15 months, making claims that he was terminally ill and escaping home detention to seek refuge in countries that wouldn’t extradite him to the United States. His lawyer, Venezuelan attorney Marco Rodriguez-Acosta, claims that Francis was deceived by Venezuelan officials, who did not properly notify him of his transfer or allow him the opportunity to contest it in court.
The saga of Fat Leonard has finally reached its conclusion, after years of scandal and evasion. With his recapture and transfer back to U.S. custody, the Malaysian defense contractor will soon face sentencing for his involvement in the most extensive corruption case in U.S. military history.