Defense firm manager pleads guilty in US Navy case

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A manager of a Singapore-based company accused of bilking the U.S. Navy out of millions of dollars has pleaded guilty in the case.

Alex Wisidagama entered a guilty plea in federal court on Tuesday to the charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States.

Wisidagama who served as the general manager of global government contracts for Glenn Defense Marine Asia Ltd., or GDMA, admitted to knowing the company submitted fictitious claims that resulted in losses to the U.S. Navy exceeding $20 million.

He is the cousin of Leonard Glenn Francis, the CEO of GDMA who is known in military circles as "Fat Leonard."

Wisidagama faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

His lawyer, Knut Johnson, said after the hearing that the plea deal was in Wisidagama's best interest.