Navy Commander Pleads Guilty to Bribery Charges

SAN DIEGO – In a shocking turn of events, Navy Lieutenant Commander Gentry Debord, 44, pleaded guilty to a bribery charge in federal court today, admitting to accepting cash, luxury hotels and prostitutes from foreign defense contractor Leonard Glenn Francis in exchange for proprietary Navy information.

The guilty plea was entered before U.S. Magistrate Judge Bernard G. Skomal, who set sentencing for January 13, 2017 at 9 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino. As part of his plea agreement, Debord admitted to providing Francis and others with internal, proprietary U.S. Navy information from November 2007 to January 2013.

This corrupt relationship was so brazen that GDMA executives described Debord as “over the moon” and joked that Debord swallowed their bribes, “hook, line and sinker,” according to instant messages quoted in the plea agreement. Debord also admitted to instructing GDMA executives to inflate their invoices to the Navy to cover the cost of various illicit gifts provided to him.

The investigation, led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, has resulted in a total of 16 named individual defendants being charged in connection with the GDMA corruption and fraud investigation. Of those, 11 are current or former U.S. Navy officials, including Debord, Admiral Robert Gilbeau, believed to be the first active-duty U.S. Navy flag officer charged in a federal criminal case.

According to his plea agreement, Debord used his position and influence in the U.S. Navy to advocate for and advance GDMA’s interests, as opportunities arose. He directed Francis and GDMA to inflate invoices to reflect services not rendered; advocated for the U.S. Navy to procure items from GDMA under its husbanding contracts; and otherwise used his position to benefit Francis’ company, Glenn Defense Marine Asia.

This case is a stark reminder of the depths of corruption within the U.S. Navy and the devastating consequences of such actions. As U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy stated, “This conduct is a disgrace to the U.S. Navy and an affront to U.S. taxpayers who were left to foot the bill for parties and prostitutes.” We will continue to press forward in this investigation until we are certain that all involved have been held accountable.

The investigation is ongoing, and it is unclear at this time what additional charges or arrests may be forthcoming. However, one thing is certain: the U.S. Navy and the American people demand accountability and justice for those who betray the public trust.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark W. Pletcher (619) 546-9714 and Patrick Hovakimian (619) 546-9718. The investigation was led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.