Navy admiral to plead guilty to lying in bribery probe

SAN DIEGO – A lawyer said a Navy admiral will plead guilty to lying in a probe of a bribery scandal that bilked the Navy out of $34 million.

Defense attorney David Benowitz said his client, Rear Adm. Robert Gilbeau, plans to enter his plea at a federal court hearing in San Diego on Thursday.

Gilbeau is the highest-ranking military official to be brought down in the wide-spanning case centered on a Malaysian contractor known as “Fat Leonard.”

He has been charged with lying to investigators, but not with accepting bribes like other Navy officers in the case.

Three Navy admirals have been censured for accepting gifts and dinners that cost thousands of dollars from the contractor who was convicted of bribing officials to get classified information used to overcharge the Navy.