Former NCIS Supervisor Gets Longest Sentence Yet in 'Fat Leonard' Bribery Case

In the toughest punishment yet in the "Fat Leonard" Navy contractor bribery case, a former Naval Criminal Investigative Service supervisory special agent was given 144 months in prison on Friday by a Southern California district judge.

John Bertrand Beliveau II, 47, of York, Pa., was also ordered to repay $20 million for his part in the Singapore-based scheme led by Glenn Defense Marine Asia CEO Leonard Francis to box out competitors using inside information on Navy ship schedules.

In his plea agreement, Beliveau acknowledged that he regularly searched confidential NCIS databases for reports of investigations related to Francis and GDMA between 2008 and 2012, helping Francis avoid multiple criminal investigations--for a while. In return, Beliveau received cash, luxury travel, night club dinners and visits with prostitutes costing thousands of dollars, according to a Justice Department statement.

“Beliveau tarnished his NCIS badge and sold sensitive law enforcement information for envelopes of cash, luxury travel and tawdry entertainment,” said Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell. “His actions risked an important criminal investigation and the safety of witnesses who agreed to cooperate with law enforcement under the belief that their identities would be protected.”

Defense Criminal Investigative Service Director Dermot O’Reilly added: “Today’s sentencing sends a resounding message that justice will be served regardless of rank or position."

The reports Beliveau leaked provided “sensitive law enforcement information about the ongoing investigation, including the identities of the subjects of the investigations; information about witnesses, including identifying information about cooperating witnesses and their testimony; [and] the particular aspects of GDMA’s billings that were of concern to the investigations,” Justice said.

Beliveau also admitted he tried to cover up his actions by asking Francis to delete emails and counseling the CEO on how to evade detection for the fraud scheme.

“John Beliveau’s deceit was a devastating blow to the U.S. Navy and ultimately the nation that he was sworn to protect,” said U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy.  “While this disgraced agent serves what may be the longest prison sentence ever handed down to a federal agent in a corruption case, his colleagues are left to rebuild the trust and credibility that he singlehandedly destroyed.”

With his sentencing, Beliveau becomes the 11th Navy employee and the 16th overall to be convicted in the case highly embarrassing to the Navy. The probe continues under the NCIS, the DCIS and the Defense Contract Audit Agency.