Ex-Navy Man Convicted on Spy Charges

A military tribunal jury Friday found retired Navy radioman Michael Allen guilty of 10 counts of espionage and related offenses for turning over counterintelligence reports to the Philippine government while he worked as a civilian photocopy clerk.

The six-officer court-martial sentenced him to eight years in prison and fined him $10,000.

Allen, 54, a native of Ponchatula, La., who retired from the Navy in 1980, worked as a clerk at the Cubi Point Naval Telecommunications Center near Manila.

Navy prosecutor Lt. Mark Wagonner, in his closing statement called Allen a “thieving traitor--nothing more, nothing less,” and accused him of working for the Philippine Constabulary, a branch of that country’s military.

Closed Doors

Richard Haver, deputy director of naval intelligence, testified that Allen’s activities may have resulted in the compromising of important Filipino intelligence sources. Much of Haver’s testimony was presented behind closed doors because of national security concerns.

However, Richard Seaman, Allen’s defense attorney, argued that there was no evidence that the retired radioman had passed along classified defense information to the Filipinos or attempted to harm U.S. interests or to aid the Philippines.

Other witnesses said Allen was a source for the Naval Investigative Service during the 2 1/2 years leading up to his arrest in December, working on over 100 information-gathering assignments. Seaman insisted, though, that the agency failed to train Allen in counterintelligence techniques or to provide him adequate direction.

He also sought to demonstrate that Allen believed that he was carrying out his duties when he copied secret documents and removed them from the Navy communications center.

The court-martial panel took less than a day to reach its verdict. It found Allen not guilty on two of the 12 charges against him.

Under military law, the guilty verdicts will automatically be appealed to the commander of Pacific naval air forces. Because the case involved national security matters, only Navy Secretary James H. Webb is empowered to reverse the verdict or to reduce Allen’s sentence, according to Ens. Ron Cenfetelli, spokesman for the Pacific Naval Air Command.

Retirement Pay

Though a civilian, Allen was court-martialed under a provision of the Uniform Code of Military Justice that allows military courts to try former servicemen who receive retirement pay. Allen will automatically lose his retirement pay as a result of the conviction, Cenfetelli said.

Prosecutors contended that Allen’s main reason for turning over secrets to the Filipinos was to promote his business interests, which included a used car dealership, a bar and a cockfighting ring.