Ex-CIA Agent Gets 10-Year Prison Term for Providing Classified Info

Ex-CIA Agent Gets 10-Year Prison Term for Providing Classified Info:Alexander Yuk Ching Ma, a 71-year-old former CIA officer, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for providing classified information to the Chinese government.

Ma, born in Hong Kong and later a naturalized U.S. citizen,

worked for the CIA between 1982 and 1989 and later took a role with the FBI.

In August 2020, Ma was arrested after confessing to an undercover

FBI agent that he had sold U.S. national defense secrets to China.

On Wednesday, Ma was sentenced after pleading guilty to espionage charges,

according to the U.S. Department of Justice. As part of his plea deal,

Ma agreed to fully cooperate with U.S. authorities for the remainder of his life, which includes participating in regular debriefings and submitting to polygraph tests.

The Justice Department revealed that Ma had been working alongside a relative,

also a former CIA agent, to provide U.S. intelligence to Chinese

operatives from the Shanghai State Security Bureau. One recorded meeting

in Hong Kong captured Ma receiving $50,000 in cash in exchange for

the classified information. The relative involved, later identified as Ma’s brother, passed away before any legal action could be taken against him.

the position

In 2004, Ma accepted a position at the FBI’s Honolulu office as a contract linguist,

despite the FBI already being aware of his espionage activities.

Federal agents hired Ma in a deliberate attempt to closely monitor

his actions and contacts. Since his arrest, Ma has participated in multiple interview sessions with government agents, demonstrating his cooperation. His plea agreement,

reached in May, resulted in a 10-year prison sentence followed by

five years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors confirmed that Ma will continue to assist with investigations as stipulated by his agreement.