Ex-Northrop Man Admits Spy Charges

A former Northrop Corp. aerospace engineer charged with attempting to sell secrets about the U.S. “stealth” bomber program to the Soviet Union pleaded guilty today in Los Angeles federal court to two counts of espionage.

Thomas Patrick Cavanagh, 40, of Downey entered the guilty pleas on a conditional basis after U.S. District Judge Matthew Byrne Jr. dismissed a motion by Cavanagh’s attorney to suppress evidence against Cavanagh gathered under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

Unless Byrne’s decision is reversed by a federal appellate court, Cavanagh’s guilty pleas will stand. The former engineer faces two possible terms of life in prison, and is scheduled to be sentenced April 22.

In entering his guilty pleas, Cavanagh told Byrne that his motive was to get out of debt. He spoke in a soft, muffled voice and was told by the judge several times to speak louder.

Made Effort Last Year

Cavanagh attempted to contact Soviet officials in San Francisco and Washington last year in an effort to sell defense secrets to the Soviet Union, but his communications were intercepted by the FBI.

He met with undercover FBI agents posing as Soviet agents on three occasions in December. At a meeting Dec. 12 in Bellflower, he produced a secret document that was partially copied by the agents. On Dec. 18, he met with them again in the City of Commerce and was arrested after turning over the same document and other information in exchange for $25,000.

Questioned in detail by the judge, Cavanagh denied that he believed he was hurting the United States by turning over the information about the advanced systems bomber to the Soviet Union.

Suspected Agent’s Identity

“It would not be injurious to the United States but it would be to the advantage of the Soviet Union,” he said.

Cavanagh said he had begun to suspect that the FBI agents were not really Soviet agents, and was afraid that he would “not leave the room in one piece” after his Dec. 18 meeting at a hotel. But he said he went through with the meeting despite his doubts.