Former Navy Captain Pleads Guilty as the Seventh Fleet Navy Bribery Trial Approaches

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/former-us-navy-captain-pleads-guilty-seventh-fleet-navy-bribery-trial-approaches

Former U.S. Navy Captain Pleads Guilty as the Seventh Fleet Navy Bribery Trial Approaches
(snip)

SAN DIEGO – Former U.S. Navy Captain Donald Hornbeck pleaded guilty in federal court today to bribery charges, admitting that while he directed the operations of all combatant ships in the Seventh Fleet, he accepted at least $67,830 in extravagant dinners, hotels, parties and prostitutes from foreign defense contractor Leonard Francis in exchange for breaching his official duty to the U.S. Navy.

According to his plea agreement, Hornbeck admitted that he corruptly used his official position to benefit Francis, the owner and CEO of Singapore-based Glenn Defense Marine Asia, a ship husbanding company that serviced U.S. Navy ships in the Asia Pacific region. He admitted that he endeavored to send Navy ships into ports serviced by GDMA; shared confidential Navy information with Francis in order to help GDMA; and helped with evaluating and indoctrinating potential new Navy members to help Francis.

Hornbeck was one of nine members of the U.S. Navy’s Seventh Fleet indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2017 for conspiring with Francis and for receiving bribes. Hornbeck is the fourth of the Seventh Fleet defendants to plead guilty. The remaining defendants - who are accused of conspiring to trade military secrets and substantial influence for sex parties with prostitutes and luxurious dinners and travel, among other lavish things of value - include U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Bruce Loveless; Captains David Newland, James Dolan and David Lausman; and Commander Mario Herrera. Trial is scheduled for February 28, 2022.

The overarching fraud and bribery investigation has resulted in federal criminal charges against 34 U.S. Navy officials, defense contractors and the GDMA corporation. So far, 29 of those have pleaded guilty, admitting collectively that they accepted millions of dollars in luxury travel and accommodations, meals, lavish gifts, or services of prostitutes, among many other things of value, from Francis in exchange for helping GDMA win and maintain contracts and overbill the Navy by over $35 million.
(snip)