Ex-Soldier Admits Spying for Soviets

A former U.S. Army clerk charged with spying for the Soviet Union 30 years ago pleaded guilty in federal court in Philadelphia, avoiding a public trial that might have compromised a secret government witness. Robert S. Lipka, a coin collector and gambler, cried before pleading to one count of conspiracy to commit espionage. Lipka, 51, had faced a possible death sentence, but in a plea agreement will be sentenced to no more than 18 years in prison and a $10,000 fine on Aug. 15. Lipka, who was trained as an intelligence analyst and once had top-secret security clearance, was accused on Feb. 23, 1996, of selling U.S. secrets while working for the National Security Agency at Ft. Meade, Md.