Top US Navy officer jailed in bribery scandal
March 26, 2016
A federal judge in San Diego has sentenced a Navy captain who oversaw operations in the US Pacific Fleet to 46 months in prison for providing classified information to a Malaysian defense contractor in exchange for luxury hotel stays and the services of prostitutes.
US District Judge Janis L. Sammartino also ordered Captain Daniel Dusek to pay a $70,000 (62,700 euro) fine and $30,000 in restitution to the navy for disclosing ship and submarine schedules.
"It's truly unimaginable to the court that someone in your position with the United States Navy would sell out based on what was provided to you - hotel rooms, entertainment and the services of prostitutes," Sammartino said during sentencing.
A con artist defrauds the Navy
Dusek is the highest-ranking officer to be charged in a major Navy corruption scandal. The 49-year-old, who had pleaded guilty in January 2015 to conspiracy to commit bribery, was among several current and former naval officers charged in the scandal that involved tens of millions of dollars in bribes.
The bribes provided by contractor Leonard Glenn Francis were intended to facilitate his Singapore-based company, Glenn Defense Marine Asia Ltd., to overbill the maritime branch by more than $34 million.
Francis also pleaded guilty in the case last year, admitting that he had fleeced the US military out of tens of millions of dollars by overbilling for services including fuel, tugboats and sewage disposal. Francis agreed to forfeit $34 million that he made in the con scheme and to repay the Navy whatever amount the court decides.
ss/cmk (AP, AFP)