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Former NCIS agent sentenced to 12 years in prison for bribery case

By Daniel Uria

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- A former U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service supervisory special agent was sentenced to 12 years in prison for disclosing sensitive law enforcement information to a defense contractor in exchange for bribes.

John Bertrand Beliveau II, 47, of York, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 144 months in prison by a federal court and ordered to pay $20 million in restitution to the Navy for leaking information that helped former Glenn Defense Marine Asia CEO Leonard Francis avoid criminal investigations agains the GDMA, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

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"John Beliveau's deceit was a devastating blow to the U.S. Navy and ultimately the nation that he was sworn to protect," U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy of the Southern District of California said. "While this disgraced agent serves what may be the longest prison sentence ever handed down to a federal agent in a corruption case, his colleagues are left to rebuild the trust and credibility that he singlehandedly destroyed."

Beliveau acknowledged he regularly searched confidential NCIS databases for reports involving investigations into misconduct performed by Francis and GDMA and provided him with copies that allowed him to avoid multiple criminal investigations.

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The reports also included sensitive law enforcement information such as the identities of the subjects, and information about witnesses including identifying information about cooperating witnesses and their testimony.

In exchange for the information Francis provided Beliveau cash, trips to Singapore, the Philippines and Thailand as well as prostitutes, lavish dinners, entertainment and alcohol at high-end nightclubs while Beliveau was posted in Singapore.

"Beliveau tarnished his NCIS badge and sold sensitive law enforcement information for envelopes of cash, luxury travel and tawdry entertainment," Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell said. "His actions risked an important criminal investigation and the safety of witnesses who agreed to cooperate with law enforcement under the belief that their identities would be protected."

A total of 16 individuals have been charged in connection with the GDMA corruption and fraud investigation including Beliveau and 10 other current or former U.S. Navy officials.

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