‘Fat Leonard’ bribery case claims another US Navy Captain

A U.S. Navy Captain Select was sentenced today to 78 months in prison for bribery charges, admitting that he accepted cash, gifts, travel expenses, entertainment and the services of prostitutes from foreign defense contractor Glenn Defense Marine Asia (GDMA) in exchange for classified U.S. Navy information.

In addition, he was ordered to pay a fine in the amount of $100,000 and to forfeit $95,000 in proceeds for the scheme.

Michael Vannak Khem Misiewicz, 49, of San Diego, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino of the Southern District of California for one count of conspiracy and one count of bribery.

According to admissions in his plea agreement, from January 2011 until September 2013, Misiewicz provided classified U.S. Navy ship schedules and other sensitive U.S. Navy information to the defense contractor Leonard Glenn Francis, CEO and owner of Singapore-based GDMA. GDMA provided port services to U.S. Navy ships and submarines when they arrived at ports throughout the Pacific.

Misiewicz admitted that when he was stationed in Japan, on the USS Mustin and in Colorado Springs, Colorado, he used his position and influence within the U.S. Navy to advance the interests of GDMA, including by providing Francis with classified ship schedules and other proprietary U.S. Navy information. In return, Misiewicz admitted that Francis gave him cash, paid for luxury travel on at least eight occasions for Misiewicz and his family, provided his wife with a designer handbag and provided Misiewicz with the services of prostitutes on multiple occasions.

Throughout the conspiracy, Misiewicz admitted that he and his conspirators took steps to avoid detection by law enforcement by, among other means, using clandestine email accounts, which they periodically deleted.

To date, 10 individuals have been charged in connection with this scheme; of those, nine have pleaded guilty, including Misiewicz, U.S. Navy Capt. Daniel Dusek, Lieutenant Commander Todd Malaki, NCIS Special Agent John Beliveau, Commander Jose Luis Sanchez and U.S. Navy Petty Officer First Class Dan Layug.

The highest-ranking navy official to be sentenced in the bribery case was Captain Daniel Dusek who was sentenced in federal court to 46 months on March 28, 2016.