The military contractor known as “Fat Leonard,” who has been under house arrest in San Diego after pleading guilty to masterminding the worst public corruption scandal in U.S. Navy history, is on the run.

Leonard Glenn Francis, nicknamed for his girth, cut off his GPS monitoring ankle bracelet sometime Sunday morning, said Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Omar Castillo.

San Diego police officers who then went to his home found it empty, Castillo said. The U.S. Marshals Office was notified about 2 p.m. Sunday and activated the San Diego Regional Fugitive Task Force to begin the high-profile manhunt. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which spearheaded the massive case against Francis more than a decade ago, is also assisting.

Neighbors told authorities that they had seen U-haul moving trucks going in and out of Francis’ home in the days leading up to his escape, Castillo said.