Navy officer charged with trading secrets for Lady Gaga tickets

Cmdr. Michael Vannak Khem Misiewicz, a high-profile U.S. Navy commanding officer, was arrested on federal bribery charged, accused of trading classified information for Lady Gaga concert tickets and prostitutes.

Also charged in a recent U.S. District Court hearing in San Diego was Leonard Glenn Francis, the CEO of Glenn Defense Marine Asia Ltd., and John Bertrand Beliveau II, a special agent for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, The Daily Mail reported.

Cmdr. Misiewicz, 46, is charged with giving Mr. Francis sensitive and classified information — including the movement of ships — and with helping the CEO arrange for the Navy craft to visit ports where he has contracts, The Daily Mail said.

The contracts were valued at around $200 million, and they enable Mr. Francis’ company to provide tugboats, fuel and security for the Naval vessels, The Daily Mail reported.

Mr. Francis is alleged to have given the commander, in return, travel, luxury hotel stays and prostitutes, as well as other entertainment — including five tickets to a Lady Gaga concert in Thailand in 2012, prosecutors said in the report.

Cmdr. Misiewicz was born in Cambodia while the Vietnam War waged. He ultimately became captain of a U.S. Navy destroyer, gaining nationwide media attention in the process.

The scandal is being billed as the worst the Navy has seen in decades, The Daily Mail said.

“Allegations of bribery and kickbacks involving naval officers, contracting personnel and NCIS agents are unheard of,” said retired Adm. Gary Roughead in The Washington Post. He also called the charges “extremely serious, disconcerting and surprising.”

Mr. Beliveau was charged with providing Mr. Francis with confidential reports. Mr. Francis, in a separate criminal complaint, was also charged with giving Mr. Beliveau travel, prostitutes and other entertainment and gifts in return for information about the NCIS investigation of his company.