Felony convictions vacated for 4 former Navy officers in sprawling 'Fat Leonard' bribery scandal
Source: Associated Press
Felony convictions vacated for 4 former Navy officers in sprawling ‘Fat Leonard’ bribery scandal
Updated 8:57 PM EDT, September 6, 2023
SAN DIEGO (AP) — The felony convictions of four former Navy officers in one of the worst bribery cases in the maritime branch’s history were vacated Wednesday due to questions about prosecutorial misconduct, the latest setback to the government’s yearslong efforts in going after dozens of military officials tied to a defense contractor nicknamed Fat Leonard.
U.S. District Judge Janis Sammartino called the misconduct “outrageous” and agreed to allow the four men to plead guilty to a misdemeanor and pay a $100 fine each.
The surprising turn in the case came at a sentencing hearing in federal court in San Diego.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Ko, who was brought on after the defendants were tried last year, admitted to “serious issues” with prosecutorial misconduct and asked the judge to vacate the officers’ felony convictions.
He said his office does not agree with all of the allegations but said errors were made.
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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/navy-officers-convictions-vacated-bribery-scandal-4091c6696072221cfe3d38f91318d571