Posted on 05/24/2024 9:13:02 PM PDT by Jyotishi
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) -- A former CIA officer pleaded guilty in a federal courtroom in Honolulu on Friday to conspiring to gather and deliver national defense information for China.
Alexander Yuk Ching Ma, 71, was arrested in 2020
https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2020/08/17/former-cia-operative-arrested-honolulu-charged-with-helping-china-spy-us/
on charges of spying and selling state secrets to China. Prosecutors say Ma admitted that he and a relative provided Chinese intelligence officers with a “large volume of classified U.S. national defense” matierals at a Hong Kong hotel room.
In exchange, they were handed $50,000 in cash.
Ma worked for the CIA from 1982 to 1989.
He subsequently served as a linguist for the FBI in Honolulu. Prosecutors say the FBI was aware of Ma’s ties to Chinese intelligence officers and so hired him as part of an investigation, setting him up with an off-site location and monitoring his contacts.
Under the terms of his plea agreement, Ma must cooperate with the US by submitting to debriefings with government agencies. He faces 10 years behind bars.
Sentencing is set for Sept. 11.
Was he clever? Was he cunning?
Sum Ting Wong.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.