National Perspective : ESPIONAGE : America’s Most-Notorious Spies
The Aldrich H. Ames spy case has thrown a spotlight on America’s espionage community. Here is a rundown of some of America’s most notorious spy cases:
NAME/POST: John A. Walker, retired Navy warrant officer
WHAT THEY DID: Pleaded guilty in 1985 to charges of spying for the former Soviet Union while a shipboard communications officer. After his retirement, Walker recruited his son, brother and a friend to supply new information.
WHEREABOUTS: Serving 30 years; eligible for parole in May, 1995.
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NAME/POST: Michael L. Walker, Walker’s son, former Navy seaman
WHAT THEY DID: Convicted in 1986 for spying and received a 25--year prison sentence in exchange for his father’s cooperation.
WHEREABOUTS: Sentence expires in the year 2000.
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NAME/POST: Arthur Walker, Walker’s brother, former Navy lt. commander
WHAT THEY DID: Convicted in 1985 for stealing secret documents and giving them to his brother for delivery to the Soviets. He was given three life sentences plus 40 years.
WHEREABOUTS: Eligible for paroll in May, 1995.
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NAME/POST: Jerry A. Whitworth, former Navy chief petty officer
WHAT THEY DID: Received the stiffest penalty of any member of the spy ring, a 365--year prison sentence at the federal penitentiary in Levenworth, Kan.
WHEREABOUTS: Eligibe for parole in 2046 at the age of 106.
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NAME/POST: Larry Wu-Tai Chin, CIA translator
WHAT THEY DID: Convicted in 1986 of spying for China.
WHEREABOUTS: Killed himself after his conviction.
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NAME/POST: Sharon Scranage, former CIA clerk
WHAT THEY DID: Convicted in 1985 of revealing classified information and disclosing the names of persons working for the CIA to her Ghanaian boyfriend while employed in Ghana.
WHEREABOUTS: Sentenced to five years in prison: released in May, 1987.
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NAME/POST: Edward Lee Howard, former CIA officer
WHAT THEY DID: Accused of selling secrets to the Soviets that seriously damaged the U.S. spy operation in Moscow.
WHEREABOUTS: Fled country in 1985 during probe; living in Russia under asylum.
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NAME/POST: David H. Barnett, former CIA agent
WHAT THEY DID: Convicted in 1981 of spying for the Soviet Union from 1976 to 1979 while based in Indonesia.
WHEREABOUTS: Paroled in 1990.
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NAME/POST: Ronald W. Pelton, former National Security Agency employee
WHAT THEY DID: Convicted in 1986 of selling information to the Soviet Union and sentenced to life imprisonment.
WHEREABOUTS: Pelton will be eligible for parole in November, 1995.
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NAME/POST: Jonathan Jay Pollard, civilian Navy intelligence analyst
WHAT THEY DID: Convicted in 1987 and sentenced to life imprisonment for conspiracy to committ espionage for Israel.
WHEREABOUTS: Eligible for parole in November, 1995 but clemency possible.
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NAME/POST: Karl F. Koecher, former CIA contract translator
WHAT THEY DID: Arrested in 1984 and charged with spying for the Czechoslovak intelligence service for 19 years.
WHEREABOUTS: Pleaded not guilty; exchanged in 1986 in a prisoner swap.
Researched by RAY DELGADO / Los Angeles Times
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