After fleeing house arrest, Leonard Francis made it across the border into Mexico and on to South America. But it didn’t take long for the law to catch up with him. In this bonus episode, Project Brazen co-founder Tom Wright speaks to Kristina Davis of the San Diego Union-Tribune and Carlos Camacho in Caracas, two journalists close to Leonard’s case, about the fraudster’s escape plan, his recapture, and what the future holds for him under President Nicolás Maduro’s regime. To listen to this episode and the rest of the Fat Leonard series, subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts, or on other podcast apps by visiting www.brazen.fm/plus. Subscribing will not only unlock Fat Leonard, but it’ll also give you early access to new Brazen shows, as well as ad-free listening and exclusive subscriber-only content across all podcasts in our network. For more fearless storytelling, visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works – from espionage and corruption to deal-making and organised crime, we’ll take you inside stories from hidden worlds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

Fat Leonard Francis has fled house arrest and gone on the run, triggering a major manhunt in the US. In this bonus episode, Project Brazen co-founder Tom Wright discusses how the notorious fraudster may have made his daring escape, where he may have fled to, and why he decided to vanish now – just three weeks before he was due to be sentenced by a San Diego court. To listen to this episode and the rest of the Fat Leonard series, subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts, or on other podcast apps by visiting www.brazen.fm/plus. Subscribing will not only unlock Fat Leonard, but it’ll also give you early access to new Brazen shows, as well as ad-free listening and exclusive subscriber-only content across all podcasts in our network. For more fearless storytelling, visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works – from espionage and corruption to deal-making and organised crime, we’ll take you inside stories from hidden worlds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

We look back at the Tailhook sexual assault scandal of 1991 through the voice of Navy whistleblower Paula Coughlin. The Navy’s problem with misogyny is deep seated and it set the stage for Leonard’s rise. To listen to this episode and the rest of the Fat Leonard series, subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts, or on other podcast apps by visiting www.brazen.fm/plus. Subscribing will not only unlock Fat Leonard, but it’ll also give you early access to new Brazen shows, as well as ad-free listening and exclusive subscriber-only content across all podcasts in our network. For more fearless storytelling, visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works – from espionage and corruption to deal-making and organised crime, we’ll take you inside stories from hidden worlds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

Out of jail, aged 21, Leonard begins his career as a defense contractor, just as the U.S. embarks on its Forever Wars. Through skill, bribes and luck, we chart the Wolf of Wall Street-like rise of Leonard, on the back of a product called the Ring of Steel. To keep listening to this episode and the rest of the Fat Leonard series, subscribe to Brazen+ by visiting www.brazen.fm/plus. Subscribing will not only unlock Fat Leonard, but it’ll also give you early access to new Brazen shows, as well as ad-free listening and exclusive subscriber-only content across all podcasts in our network. For more fearless storytelling, visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works – from espionage and corruption to deal-making and organised crime, we’ll take you inside stories from hidden worlds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

Leonard Francis became the most powerful military contractor in the Pacific, running a mafia organization at the heart of the U.S. Navy. He’s over 300 pounds, and charming. We meet him in jail, and explore why he’s talking exclusively to our host, author and journalist Tom Wright. We explore Leonard’s troubled childhood. It turns out this isn’t his first time in prison. Fat Leonard is a Project Brazen production. Subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts or at brazen.fm/plus and get bonus episodes, ad-free listening and early access to new podcasts.  For more fearless storytelling, visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works – from espionage and corruption to deal-making and organised crime, we’ll take you inside stories from hidden worlds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

​​Leonard Francis, AKA Fat Leonard, is angry, and he’s talking for the first time. His explosive story will change the way you look at the U.S. Navy forever. To access all episodes of the Fat Leonard podcast, subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts, or on other podcast apps by visiting www.brazen.fm/plus. Subscribing will not only unlock Fat Leonard, but it’ll also give you early access to new Brazen shows, as well as ad-free listening and exclusive subscriber-only content across all podcasts in our network. For more fearless storytelling, visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works – from espionage and corruption to deal-making and organised crime, we’ll take you inside stories from hidden worlds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

A jury in San Diego returned verdicts in the trials against several Navy officers implicated by Fat Leonard. Project Brazen founders Bradley Hope and Tom Wright discuss the latest developments in the case and news about a TV series based on the Fat Leonard podcast. To listen to this episode and the rest of the Fat Leonard series, subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts, or on other podcast apps by visiting www.brazen.fm/plus. Subscribing will not only unlock Fat Leonard, but it’ll also give you early access to new Brazen shows, as well as ad-free listening and exclusive subscriber-only content across all podcasts in our network. For more fearless storytelling, visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works – from espionage and corruption to deal-making and organised crime, we’ll take you inside stories from hidden worlds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

A lot has happened since we wrapped up the first season of the "Fat Leonard" podcast, and host Tom Wright is back with all the updates - the good, the bad and the unexpected. Includes new interviews with whistleblower Marcy Misiewicz, David Loy (Legal Director of the First Amendment Coalition) and Don Christensen (President, Protect Our Defenders). Stay tuned for updates from the trial in the coming weeks. To listen to this episode and the rest of the Fat Leonard series, subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts, or on other podcast apps by visiting www.brazen.fm/plus. Subscribing will not only unlock Fat Leonard, but it’ll also give you early access to new Brazen shows, as well as ad-free listening and exclusive subscriber-only content across all podcasts in our network. For more fearless storytelling, visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works – from espionage and corruption to deal-making and organised crime, we’ll take you inside stories from hidden worlds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

With Leonard in jail, the Navy investigates hundreds of officers. But they spare top admirals. Tom’s relationship with Leonard reaches breaking point. A major trial of U.S. Navy officers is set to start in February. Watch out for bonus episodes. To listen to this episode and the rest of the Fat Leonard series, subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts, or on other podcast apps by visiting www.brazen.fm/plus. Subscribing will not only unlock Fat Leonard, but it’ll also give you early access to new Brazen shows, as well as ad-free listening and exclusive subscriber-only content across all podcasts in our network. For more fearless storytelling, visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works – from espionage and corruption to deal-making and organised crime, we’ll take you inside stories from hidden worlds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

Beaten and angry, Marcy Misiewicz makes a decision that will bring down Leonard, and her husband along with him. To listen to this episode and the rest of the Fat Leonard series, subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts, or on other podcast apps by visiting www.brazen.fm/plus. Subscribing will not only unlock Fat Leonard, but it’ll also give you early access to new Brazen shows, as well as ad-free listening and exclusive subscriber-only content across all podcasts in our network. For more fearless storytelling, visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works – from espionage and corruption to deal-making and organised crime, we’ll take you inside stories from hidden worlds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

A cocksure Navy officer called David Schaus takes on Leonard. He’s joined by a principled Navy supply official called Teresa Kelly. Finally, they force Navy admirals, who for years have given him cover, to take Leonard’s fraud seriously. To listen to this episode and the rest of the Fat Leonard series, subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts, or on other podcast apps by visiting www.brazen.fm/plus. Subscribing will not only unlock Fat Leonard, but it’ll also give you early access to new Brazen shows, as well as ad-free listening and exclusive subscriber-only content across all podcasts in our network. For more fearless storytelling, visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works – from espionage and corruption to deal-making and organised crime, we’ll take you inside stories from hidden worlds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

Leonard’s cruel treatment of his Filipina girlfriend, Morena De Jesus, and their children together, exposes his dark side. A fraught relationship with his own father could hold the key to understanding Leonard. To listen to this episode and the rest of the Fat Leonard series, subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts, or on other podcast apps by visiting www.brazen.fm/plus. Subscribing will not only unlock Fat Leonard, but it’ll also give you early access to new Brazen shows, as well as ad-free listening and exclusive subscriber-only content across all podcasts in our network. For more fearless storytelling, visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works – from espionage and corruption to deal-making and organised crime, we’ll take you inside stories from hidden worlds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

Michael Misiewicz was a rising star in the Navy before Leonard corrupts him with prostitutes, cash and free travel. We see the descent of one officer into graft and violence through the voice of his wife, Marcy Misiewicz. To listen to this episode and the rest of the Fat Leonard series, subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts, or on other podcast apps by visiting www.brazen.fm/plus. Subscribing will not only unlock Fat Leonard, but it’ll also give you early access to new Brazen shows, as well as ad-free listening and exclusive subscriber-only content across all podcasts in our network. For more fearless storytelling, visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works – from espionage and corruption to deal-making and organised crime, we’ll take you inside stories from hidden worlds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

How Leonard buys his own warship, the Braveheart, complete with a mercenary army, and deploys it to help fight Al Qaeda. He secretly records orgies with Navy officers, causing one of the U.S.’s worst ever national security breaches. To listen to this episode and the rest of the Fat Leonard series, subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts, or on other podcast apps by visiting www.brazen.fm/plus. Subscribing will not only unlock Fat Leonard, but it’ll also give you early access to new Brazen shows, as well as ad-free listening and exclusive subscriber-only content across all podcasts in our network. For more fearless storytelling, visit brazen.fm, home to all our podcasts, documentaries and newsletters. At Brazen, we show you how the world really works – from espionage and corruption to deal-making and organised crime, we’ll take you inside stories from hidden worlds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/