14 Americans Currently in Prison for Espionage

Ames was a CIA officer who committed espionage by spying for the Soviet Union and later Russia. From 1985 to 1994, he provided classified information about CIA and FBI agents to the Soviets, compromising numerous CIA assets and operations. Ames’ actions resulted in the capture and execution of several intelligence agents. The FBI started investigating Ames after reports about his unexplained wealth.

Another former CIA officer, Harold James Nicholson sold classified information about CIA trainees and operations to Russia from 1994 to 1996. In 1996, Nicholson was arrested and subsequently became the highest-ranking CIA officer ever convicted of espionage. He received a 23-year prison sentence, emphasizing the severe consequences of insider threats within intelligence agencies. In 2011, additional charges were brought against Nicholson and eight years were added onto his sentence. He had enlisted his son Nathan to collect money from Russian officials for his spying, resulting in Nathan’s sentencing to five years of probation and 100 hours of community service.

Regan, a former U.S. Air Force master sergeant, committed treason by attempting to sell highly classified information. He had collected and hidden about 20,000 pages of highly classified documents with the intent to sell them to China, Iraq, and Libya, but he never successfully completed a sale. Regan’s motivation appears to have been financial – he owed more than $100,000 in credit card debt.

Over a span of three decades, Myers – who is the great-grandson of Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, and also related to William Howard Taft, the 27th president of the United States – and his wife, Gwendolyn, spied for the Cuban government. Apparently their motives were ideological, with them admiring Fidel Castro and noting that health care in Cuba was superior to that in the U.S.

An aerospace engineer who worked for Northrop Corporation, Gowadia was convicted of multiple crimes related to espionage and unlawfully providing classified defense information about highly sensitive technology, including stealth technology, to China and other foreign entities. Gowadia’s actions endangered national security by compromising advanced defense capabilities and potentially allowing adversaries to evade detection.

Fishenko, a Russian-born businessman and naturalized U.S. citizen, was convicted for his role in a complex and extensive scheme to illegally export advanced technology and sensitive military-grade equipment to Russia. He and his co-conspirators surreptitiously acquired controlled items through front companies, evading export controls and regulations. These actions compromised U.S. national security and violated numerous laws governing the transfer of sensitive technology.

A former U.S. Army officer and intelligence contractor, Hansen was convicted of conspiring to transmit national defense secrets to China. Hansen, driven by financial motives, attempted to provide classified information to Chinese agents, compromising U.S. intelligence assets. At his sentencing hearing, he said he “would give anything” to change what he did.

Lee, a former CIA officer who later worked for Estée Lauder and Christie’s, was convicted for his role in conspiring to communicate, deliver, and retain classified information that could harm the United States. Lee jeopardized national security by unlawfully sharing sensitive information with Chinese intelligence services for personal gain. He was paid various amounts of money at least between May 2010 through December 2013.

Kevin Mallory, a former CIA officer and a U.S. citizen who speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese, was convicted for conspiring to provide top-secret documents to a Chinese intelligence agent. He was arrested in 2017, at his residence in Leesburg, Virginia. Mallory held various positions within different government agencies and defense contractors.

Peter Rafael Debbins, a former U.S. Army officer, was convicted for conspiring to provide national defense information to Russia. According to court documents, Debbins had a history of involvement with Russian intelligence dating back to 1996. His offenses included divulging details about his time as an Army officer, his training, and his deployment locations. He also disclosed classified information related to U.S. Army Special Forces units and their operations.

Ji Chaoqun, a Chinese national residing in the United States, was arrested and subsequently convicted for acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government. Ji, under the direction of Chinese intelligence, targeted individuals within the U.S. defense industry to gather sensitive information and recruit them as intelligence sources. His activities included conducting background checks, providing reports to Chinese officials, and seeking to establish connections with potential sources.

Jonathan Toebbe, a former employee of the Department of the Navy and a nuclear engineer, along with his wife, Diana, were sentenced for conspiring to communicate classified information concerning the design of nuclear-powered warships to Brazil. The couple, from Annapolis, Maryland, pleaded guilty to the conspiracy in August 2022.