[[Brian Leighton]] was a former Assistant [[United States Attorney|U.S. Attorney]] in Fresno, California. He was instrumental in prosecuting 29 members of a drug/arms organization known as "[[The Company]]."[^1] Leighton's efforts against "The Company" were significant, and he was described as the most effective person in formulating a strategy within the [[United States Department of Justice|Justice Department]] to pursue this group. He was involved in a joint effort with prosecutors in Lexington, Kentucky, and Miami, Florida, to dismantle "The Company."[^1] [[Michael Riconosciuto]] claimed to have provided Leighton with "valuable intelligence" on illegal drug activities and "The Company," stating that he had been instrumental in helping Leighton identify members of the organization and even led law enforcement officers to a marijuana cache belonging to its members. However, during Riconosciuto's trial, Leighton's testimony was evasive regarding their direct collaboration, and he stated he could not recall ever meeting Riconosciuto personally or speaking to him directly, only through a government agent.[^1] Leighton reportedly retired from the [[United States Attorney|U.S. Attorney]]'s office shortly after the prosecutions against "The Company." [[Michael Riconosciuto]] speculated that Leighton was operating out of fear, noting that the prosecuting attorney in Florida involved in the case had been shot in the head. Riconosciuto also claimed that Leighton's prosecutions had only served to "vaccinate" "The Company" against further penetration, making them more resilient.[^1] ### Footnotes [^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro's Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.