The US Department of the Navy seal hangs on the wall February 24, 2009, at the Pentagon in Washingto,DC. AFP Photo/Paul J. Richards / AFP PHOTO / Paul J. RICHARDS (Photo credit should read PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images)
A former U.S. Navy chief petty officer involved in the wide-ranging "Fat Leonard'' bribery scandal was sentenced Friday in San Diego to 27 months in federal prison.
Brooks Alonzo Parks, 48, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was one of 34 defendants charged in the scheme, which involved the bribery of Navy officials in exchange for helping Leonard Glenn "Fat Leonard'' Francis and his Singapore-based ship husbanding company, Glenn Defense Marine Asia, obtain classified military information to gain an edge over GDMA's competitors.
Parks was also ordered to pay $25,405.76 in restitution in connection with his guilty plea to a count of conspiracy to commit bribery.
Prosecutors said Parks accepted accommodations at lavish hotels throughout Asia between 2006 and 2010, and in exchange, approved and expedited invoices and payment requests for GDMA, and provided bidding and pricing information that helped the company gain an advantage over its competitor in the Philippines.
During much of that time, Parks served as the Logistics Lead Petty Officer on the staff of Commander, U.S. Navy Seventh Fleet, and was involved in managing the Seventh Fleet's logistics support budget, signing and processing invoices and performing other supervisory logistics functions.
Parks traded on his important position of trust, selling his loyalty to a foreign defense contractor,'' said U.S. Attorney Robert S. Brewer.
Francis pleaded guilty in 2015 to bribery and fraud charges for providing a plethora of gifts to U.S. Navy officials, including travel accommodations, hotel stays, alcohol, prostitutes, Cuban cigars and more, in exchange for directing contracts toward his firm and providing him with confidential information on Navy operations and personnel.
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Of the 34 defendants charged thus far, 23 have pleaded guilty, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Ret. Chief Petty Officer Parks, who previously held a position of "trust and responsibility within the Navy, betrayed his former service and deserves to be held accountable for illicitly seeking to receive gifts and other items of value in exchange for using his influence to benefit GDMA,'' said Special Agent in Charge Eric Maddox of the NCIS Economic Crimes Field Office.
