Fugitive 'Fat Leonard' may have left the country, US Marshals say
Francis pleaded guilty in 2015 to his involvement in a $35 million scandal to bribe Navy officials
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fugitive Leonard Francis, a.k.a. "Fat Leonard," may be outside the country, according to the U.S. Marshal Services (USMS).
Authorities are searching for Francis, a military defense contractor accused of bribing U.S. Navy officials to help his business secure military contracts, allegedly cut off his GPS monitoring bracelet and fled home confinement in San Diego on Sunday, three weeks before his sentencing date.
U.S. Marshals "believed" the Malaysian national "has now left the country," but could not share any new leads, Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Omar Castillo told Fox News Digital.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Castillo could not comment on any potential accomplices due to the ongoing nature of their investigation into Francis' whereabouts.
Francis pleaded guilty in 2015 to his involvement in a $35 million scandal to bribe Navy officials. He has been in home confinement since ahead of his sentencing on Sept. 4. The U.S. Pretrial Services, a federal service that monitored Francis' home confinement, received an alert on Sunday morning saying the military contractor's GPS ankle monitor had been tampered with, at which point Pretrial Services contacted USMS.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}When authorities arrived at Francis' residence and entered through an unlocked door, they were unable to locate the fugitive. Marshals did, however, find his ankle bracelet that had been cut off.
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Neighbors told The Associated Press that they spotted U-Haul trucks outside Omar's San Diego home days before the fugitive's escape.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Now, authorities are asking anyone with information on Francis’ whereabouts to contact the U.S. Marshals at 877-926-8332 or submit anonymous tips via the USMS Tips App.