Sailor Accused of Aiding Father in Spy Case Is Returning to U.S.
Seaman Michael Lance Walker, who allegedly helped his father pass Navy secrets to the Soviets, will be flown to the United States today to stand trial in Baltimore, sources said Friday.
Walker, 22, is set to arrive at Andrews Air Force Base from the aircraft carrier Nimitz, which has been stationed in the Mediterranean, sources said. The seaman, who was arrested aboard the ship Wednesday, will be turned over to the FBI.
His father, John Anthony Walker Jr., 47, is being held in jail in Baltimore for conducting espionage for the Soviet Union over a period of 15 or more years, including much of his 20-year career in the Navy.
The federal prosecutor’s office in Baltimore said Walker would appear before a federal magistrate Tuesday morning.
Navy records show that the elder Walker had plenty of opportunities to spy for the Soviets. He served aboard nuclear submarines equipped with ballistic missiles and was trained in the use of secret codes and communications.
The younger Walker also had ample access to secret material as a sailor aboard the nuclear-powered Nimitz.
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