NAVY OFFICER PLEADS GUILTY TO SELLING CLASSIFIED SHIP SCHEDULES AS BRIBERY PROBE WIDENS

Source: U.S. Attorney’s office

April 18, 2015 (San Diego)--U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Todd Dale Malaki has pled guilty to bribery charges in federal court admitting that he accepted cash, hotel expenses and  services of a prostitute in return for providing classified U.S. Navy ship schedules and other internal Navy information to  defense contracting executive.

Malaki, 44, of San Diego, pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mitchell D. Dembin of the Southern District of California to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 6, 2015.

As part of his guilty plea, Malaki admitted that in 2006, while he was working as a supply officer for the U.S. Navy’s Seventh Fleet, he began a corrupt relationship with Leonard Glenn Francis, the former president and chief executive officer of Glenn Defense Marine Asia (GDMA), a company that provided services to the U.S. Navy.

As part of the scheme, Malaki provided Francis with classified U.S. Navy ship schedules and proprietary invoicing information about GDMA’s competitors. In exchange, Malaki admitted that Francis provided him with luxury hotel stays in Singapore, Hong Kong and the island of Tonga, as well as envelopes of cash, entertainment expenses and the services of a prostitute. Malaki admitted that the total value of the benefits he received was approximately $15,000.

“The receipt of envelopes of cash and lavish hotel stays by our public officials at whatever level erodes the public’s trust in our institutions and our government,” said U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy. Duffy says the guilty plea reflects “the next step in our ongoing effort to regain that public trust.”

Another Navy officer has now pleaded guilty and admitted to taking bribes to reveal classified military information to a major supplier.Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell states. “It is both troubling and disappointing how many Navy officers we have exposed as willingly falling prey to GDMA’s corruption, and our investigation remains active and ongoing. Those who serve in our nation’s military must uphold the public’s trust or pay the consequences for their crimes.”

Malaki is the eighth individual to plead guilty in this expanding probe into corruption and fraud in the U.S. Navy. GDMA pled guilty in January. Two other individuals, Paul Simpkins, formerly a Department of Defense contracting officer, and Michael Misiewicz, a Captain-select in the U.S. Navy, have been charged and entered pleas of not guilty.

The ongoing investigation is being conducted by Defense Criminal Investigative Service and Naval Criminal Investigative Service, with  assistance from the Defense Contract Audit Agency.

Those with information relating to fraud, corruption or waste in government contracting should contact the NCIS anonymous tip line at www.ncis.navy.mil or the DOD Hotline at www.dodig.mil/hotline, or call (800) 424-9098.