SAN DIEGO (NewsNation) — Leonard Francis, also known as “Fat Leonard,” has admitted to being the mastermind of one of the most extensive bribery scandals in U.S. military history. Now, after staging a bold escape executed in broad daylight over the holiday weekend in an upscale suburban San Diego neighborhood, many are asking if he employed his notorious charm to get help to disappear.
He was under house arrest in San Diego but is now on the run after cutting off his GPS monitoring ankle bracelet over the weekend, federal authorities said.
Former FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer told NewsNation’s “Rush Hour” on Wednesday that Francis’ whereabouts should have been more closely followed.
“I look at this almost like a scene out of “The Godfather,” you know, where he’s playing cards with the people who were supposed to be following him,” she said. “That’s a little bit tongue in cheek. But in all seriousness, nobody took this individual’s flight risks seriously.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.