Posted on 10/19/2009 3:51:46 PM PDT by SJackson
A scientist who worked for the US Defense Department, a White House space counsel and other agencies was arrested Monday on espionage charges.
Department said Stewart David Nozette, 52, of suburban Chevy Chase, Maryland, was charged in a criminal complaint with attempting to communicate, deliver and transmit classified information to an individual he believed to be an Israeli intelligence officer.
The complaint does not allege that the government of Israel or anyone acting on its behalf violated US law.
Nozette was arrested Monday by FBI agents. He is expected to make his initial appearance in federal court in Washington on Tuesday.
In an affidavit supporting the complaint that was unsealed Monday, FBI agent Leslie Martell said that on September 3, Nozette received a telephone call from an individual purporting to be an Israeli intelligence officer. The caller was an undercover FBI agent.
Nozette agreed to meet with the agent later that day at a hotel in Washington and in the subsequent meeting the two discussed Nozette's willingness to work for Israeli intelligence.
Nozette allegedly informed the agent that he had, in the past, held top security clearances and had access to US satellite information, the affidavit said.
Nozette also was alleged to have said he would be willing to answer questions about this information in exchange for money. The affidavit said the agent explained that the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad, would arrange for a communication system so Nozette could pass on information in a post office box.
Nozette agreed to provide regular, continuing information and asked for an Israeli passport, the government alleged.
>Perhaps your ticket is really Wright-Farrakhan!
Nope, but your ticket is definitely Al Sharpton - Abe Foxman 2012.
And the Angels just won!
On or about Sept. 10, 2009, undercover FBI agents left a letter in the designated post office box for Nozette. In the letter, the FBI asked Nozette to answer a list of questions concerning U.S. satellite information. The undercover agents also provided a $2,000 cash payment for Nozette. The serial numbers of the bills were recorded. Nozette retrieved the questions and the money from the post office the same day.
On or about Sept. 16, 2009, Nozette was captured on videotape leaving a manila envelope in the designated post office box in the District of Columbia. The next day, FBI agents retrieved the sealed manila envelope that Nozette had dropped off and found, among other things, a one-page document containing answers to the questions posed by the undercover agents and an encrypted computer thumb drive. One of answers provided by Nozette contained information classified as Secret, which concerned capabilities of a prototype overhead collection system. In addition, Nozette allegedly offered to reveal additional classified information that directly concerned nuclear weaponry, military spacecraft or satellites, and other major weapons systems.
Also on or about Sept. 17, 2009, undercover FBI agents left a second letter in the post office box for Nozette. In the letter, the FBI asked Nozette to answer another list of questions concerning U.S. satellite information. The FBI also left a cash payment of $9,000 in the post office box. Nozette allegedly retrieved the questions and the money from the post office box later that same day.
On or about October 1, 2009, Nozette was filmed on videotape leaving a manila envelope in the post office box. Later that day, FBI agents retrieved the manila envelope left by Nozette and found a second set of answers from him. The answers contained information classified as both Top Secret and Secret that concerned U.S. satellites, early warning systems, means of defense or retaliation against large-scale attack, communications intelligence information, and major elements of defense strategy.
I am by nature a skeptic, and am interested to see how this case plays out.
Thanks for the link. Sounds like a smart guy.
You think Israel is looking to colonize the moon? 8^)
Have you ever met a “real fighting man”. You really ought to watch jumping to conclusions.
You may have detected that I have little patience for those who jump to the defense of traitors. I have reason to behave in that way, and am more than willing to compare my service with that of any who would challenge it.
For a life sentence, if he's found guilty.
Well, keep in mind that our current President prefers Muslims and shows disdain for Jews (and their supporters).
Mr Nozette and the undercover agent exchanged envelopes of money for answers to lists of questions about US satellite technology."In addition, Nozette allegedly offered to reveal additional classified information that directly concerned nuclear weaponry, military spacecraft or satellites and other major weapons systems,'' DOJ said.
FBI agents retrieved a manila envelope left by Mr Nozette in a designated location this month that "contained information classified as both top secret and secret that concerned US satellites, early warning systems, means of defense or retaliation against large-scale attack, communications intelligence information, and major elements of defense strategy''
If correct, he needs a very good lawyer, and would probably be well advised to accept a plea. Sad, since it was a sting, he has no fellow conspirators to offer up, just FBI agents.
Thanks. Cash for documents, it appears as though he did the deed.
Time will tell.
I’m not as smart as some here who already know he’s guilty.
I don’t know, but from the very little I see, he looks it. But that’s why we have trials, and I wish him the best defense he can afford. I could well be wrong. I admit sting operations do disturb me, they create the crime to be prosecuted. In some cases bringing an otherwise guilty man to justice, in others simply creating a criminal. The latter case counterproductive in a free society. But if this was his only “indiscretion”, if he sold classified documents, the sting becomes irrelevant.
Clyde Conrad...... That was a real spy. Thanks
>Cash for documents, it appears as though he did the deed.
OMG Lynch Mob alert!
Just kidding, at the expense of the knee jerk Al Sharpton-Abe Foxman crowd, of course.
If the info is accurate, he went back for a “second helping” of money.
Not cool at all!
And if he’s guilty, he needs much, much more than a few years in prison.
20 years hard time in Leavenworth would do nicely.
It depends. It could be a legitimate technique. But not one that should be employed unless they already had good reason to believe that he was spying for Israel.
Legally, there’s probably a fine line which the FBI violates from time to time—but at least they should have some good reason for violating it.
So you condone another country spying on the U.S. "if they feel they need more info on things than we're giving"....wow...just wow.
“No spying was even done....More BS from 0bama administration”
Israel spies on us. We spy on them. They are probably among the worst espionage threats, because they are good at it - they’ve compromised the most sensitive of secrets (ala Pollard). If you think for a second Israel would not take advantage of any opportunity, including this one, then you are deluded.
I’m a supporter of Israel, but I wouldn’t trust them with anything that I didn’t want to immediately end up in the hands of the Russians or the Chinese, because that is exactly what has happened before when we shared info with them (another case).
I think that I may have misjudged you, but I don’t think I’m wrong about this guy. Don’t stand too close to him, I don’t shoot as straight as I used to.
Well, it seems as if you don't agree with the basic principle that the severity of the punishment should be proportionate to the severity of the crime. If the facts are as stated, and absolutely no actual espionage was engaged in, not even on behalf of an ally, life imprisonment is much too harsh for a relatively minor offense.
Life imprisonment is generally reserved for crimes like aggravated homicides. No one was killed nor physically harmed here as far as we know.
All spys that I know of were arrested for actually passing information to the enemy or a foreign nation. They actually did some spying and espionage. Maybe this will come out in court and maybe this Nozette will be charged with actual espionage
But so far what I see is a man who handed over top secret material to the FBI who was faking being from a foreign power. Is this really the best we can do? Yeah it’s against the law but we should be arresting spies who actually commit espionage
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