Navy commander charged with accepting cash, prostitutes

(McClatchy) A U.S. Navy officer appeared in federal court in Florida on Wednesday after his arrest on bribery charges of accepting prostitutes, luxury travel and $100,000 in cash payments from a major Asian defense contractor in exchange for classified Navy information.

The Justice Department said Cmdr. Jose Luis Sanchez, 41, is the third senior Navy official to face charges in a bribery case tied to Glenn Defense Marine Asia (GDMA), a Singapore-based Pentagon contractor that services and supplies Navy ships in California and across Asia. Its CEO, Leonard Glenn Francis, was arrested Sept. 16 in San Diego.

Cmdr. Michael Vannak Khem Misiewicz, 46, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service Supervisory Special Agent John Bertrand Beliveau II, 44, were charged separately in connection with bribery allegations.

"As described in the corruption charges unsealed today, senior officials with the United States Navy abused their trusted positions as leaders in our armed forces by peddling favorable treatment -- and even classified government information -- for their personal benefit," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman.

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