Whitworth in Not Guilty Plea to Spy Charges

Jerry A. Whitworth, accused of spying for the Soviet Union in a ring headed by a former Navy friend, pleaded not guilty in federal court here Thursday to 11 new counts of espionage and income tax fraud, while his attorney charged that the government has “systematically exaggerated” its case against him.

The allegations accuse Whitworth, 45, of stealing secret code documents from the aircraft carrier Enterprise, along with contingency plans for communications in the event of war in the Middle East. Federal authorities have contended that Whitworth’s alleged thefts may have caused major national security problems.

Others Arrested

Also arrested and awaiting trial are the alleged leader of the spy network, John A. Walker Jr., the Navy friend of Whitworth; and Walker’s son, Michael Lance. Another alleged spy ring member, John Walker’s brother Arthur, is on trial in Norfolk, Va.

James Larson, Whitworth’s attorney, said that despite government leaks to the media that have painted his client as a “key player” in the spy ring, the government failed to substantiate such claims in its new indictment. The new charges were handed down by a federal grand jury earlier this week.

‘Case Is Weak’

Larson said his client has been a victim of “extravagant, unattributed, anonymous sources in the government, apparently in the Pentagon.” Larson said the government has “misled” people about the significance of thousands of documents taken from Whitworth’s rented trailer in Davis in early June.

“I’m saying the government’s case is weak,” Larson told reporters.

Whitworth, who retired in 1983 after 23 years in the Navy, is being held without bail in a San Francisco Bay Area jail. If convicted, he faces life in prison.