Fomrer Navy Cmdr. Troy Amundson (U.S. Navy photo)A former U.S. Navy commander was sentenced to 30 months in prison Friday for taking bribes from a Singapore-based defense contractor in exchange for sensitive information about ship movements and port calls.
Troy Amundson, 51, of Ramsey, Minnesota pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.
He conspired with Leonard Glenn Francis and his company, Glenn Defense Marine Asia (GDMA). The company provided port services to Navy ships across Asia.
A federal judge in San Diego also ordered Amundson to pay a $10,000 fine and about $21,000 in restitution.
Fom 2005 to 2013, Amundson coordinated the U.S. Navy’s joint military exercises with its foreign navy counterparts.
While in that post, he took dinners, drinks, and the services of prostitutes from Francis, also known as Fat Leonard.
In return, he gave Francis information about U.S. Navy ship schedules. And he took “other actions in favor of GDMA and in violation of his official duties,” the DOJ said.
Amundson admitted that after being interviewed by federal criminal investigators in October 2013, he deleted email correspondence with Francis.
Francis, 54, was arrested in San Diego in 2013 and charged with bribery and fraud.
He pleaded guilty in 2015 to directing a decade-long conspiracy involving scores of U.S. Navy officials. In exchange for millions of dollars in bribes, the officials helped Francis win Navy contracts and overcharge for his company’s services.
Francis is waiting to be sentenced.
So far, 33 defendants — many of them from the top ranks of the Navy’s Pacific command — have been charged in the massive corruption scandal.
Twenty-one have pleaded guilty.
____
Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog.
Comments are closed for this article!