Former CIA officer jailed for 10 years for spying for China
Alexander Ma sentenced after admitting to spying for China
A former CIA officer who accepted gifts and money to spy for China received a 10-year prison sentence on Wednesday.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that 71-year-old Alexander Yuk Ching Ma from Honolulu was sentenced for conspiring to transmit national defence information to the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
In August 2020, Ma was apprehended after confessing to an undercover FBI agent that he shared classified information with the PRC’s Shanghai State Security Bureau (SSSB).
#FPWorld: Former CIA officer Alexander Yuk Ching Ma was sentenced to 10 years in prison for spying for the Chinese government.https://t.co/OUYM3gFfke
— Firstpost (@firstpost) September 12, 2024
Ma served in the CIA from 1982 to 1989, while his co-conspirator, a relative, was with the CIA from 1967 to 1983.
Both men held top secret security clearances, allowing access to sensitive CIA information, and had signed nondisclosure agreements.
According to the plea agreement, SSSB officers contacted Ma in March 2001 to arrange a meeting with him and his co-conspirator.
After persuading his partner, the men met with SSSB officers in a Hong Kong hotel room over three days.
The DOJ revealed that the co-conspirator handed over a substantial amount of classified information in exchange for $50,000, and both agreed to continue aiding the Chinese agency.
Two years later, Ma applied for a job as a contract linguist at the FBI’s Honolulu field office. The FBI, aware of Ma’s connections with the PRC, hired him to discreetly monitor and investigate his interactions with the SSSB.
Ma worked part-time at an offsite location for the FBI from August 2004 to October 2012.
In February 2006, the SSB asked Ma to have his partner identify four individuals in photographs, and the identities of at least two were disclosed.
The DOJ stated that Ma admitted to knowingly conspiring with his partner and the SSSB to transmit information intended to be used against the U.S. or to benefit the PRC.
During Wednesday’s hearing and in court documents, the government detailed Ma’s yearslong espionage conspiracy. The documents indicated that the co-conspirator obtained the exchanged information between 1967 and 1983.
As part of the agreement, Ma must cooperate with the U.S. indefinitely, which includes undergoing debriefings by U.S. agencies.
Additionally, Ma received a 10-year prison sentence, followed by five years of supervised release.
What Other Media Are Saying
- DNyuz reports that a former CIA officer, Alexander Yuk Ching Ma, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for conspiring to gather and deliver top-secret information to China, which he received in exchange for gifts and money.(read more)
- The New York Post reports that a former CIA officer faces prison and a lifetime of polygraph tests after spying for China.(read more)
- NBCDFW reports that Alexander Yuk Ching Ma, a 71-year-old former CIA officer, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for spying for China.(read more)
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions asked about this news
Who is Alexander Yuk Ching Ma?
A former CIA officer sentenced for spying for China.
What was Alexander Yuk Ching Ma sentenced for?
Conspiring to deliver national defense information to China.
How long did Ma work for the CIA?
From 1982 until 1989.
What penalties did Ma receive?
10 years in prison and five years of supervised release.
What did Ma admit in his plea agreement?
He conspired to communicate information to help China.
