18-month sentence for ex-Navy commander in bribery scandal
HONOLULU — A retired U.S. Navy commander in Hawaii was sentenced Monday to 18 months in federal prison for lying about his relationship with a Malaysian defense contractor nicknamed “Fat Leonard.”
David Kapaun abused his position in the Navy to help give a contractor an unfair advantage, U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway said.
That contractor, Leonard Francis, has admitted bribing Navy officials with cash, prostitutes and other gifts in exchange for information to help his company. He’s awaiting sentencing. Prosecutors call him the center of a massive corruption scandal involving 30 defendants.
Kapaun, while working in Singapore from 2002 to 2004, was one of the officials Francis plied with gifts, Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Pletcher said. Kapaun was instrumental in helping Francis grow his company, Pletcher said.
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