DATE=4/3/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-229196
TITLE=C-I-A ALLEGED SPY (L)
BYLINE=JIM MALONE
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: A FORMER MID-LEVEL EMPLOYEE FOR THE U-S CENTRAL
INTELLIGENCE AGENCY WAS CHARGED WITH FOUR COUNTS OF ESPIONAGE
FRIDAY AND ONE COUNT OF ATTEMPTED EXTORTION. FORMER C-I-A
EMPLOYEE DOUGLAS GROAT APPEARED BEFORE A FEDERAL JUDGE IN
WASHINGTON AND PLED NOT GUILTY TO ALL FIVE COUNTS. V-O-A
CORRESPONDENT JIM MALONE WAS THERE AND HAS A REPORT.
TEXT: FIFTY-YEAR OLD DOUGLAS GROAT WORKED FOR THE C-I-A FROM
1980 UNTIL 1996. BUT ACCORDING TO FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICIALS, MR. GROAT WAS ALSO DOING SOME ILLEGAL WORK ON THE
SIDE.
FEDERAL OFFICIALS UNSEALED AN INDICTMENT FRIDAY CHARGING MR.
GROAT WITH FOUR COUNTS OF ESPIONAGE WHICH ALLEGEDLY INVOLVED
PASSING U-S DEFENSE SECRETS AND INFORMATION ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS
SYSTEMS TO TWO FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS.
FEDERAL OFFICIALS SAY THEY WILL NOT IDENTIFY THE TWO FOREIGN
GOVERNMENTS INVOLVED IN THE CASE FOR NATIONAL SECURITY REASONS.
THE INVESTIGATION INTO MR. GROAT'S ACTIVITIES HAS BEEN UNDERWAY
FOR A YEAR NOW AND WAS A JOINT EFFORT BY THE F-B-I AND THE U-S
ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IN WASHINGTON. WILMA LEWIS IS THE U-S ATTORNEY
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
/// LEWIS ACT. ///
DURING GROAT'S EMPLOYMENT WITH THE C-I-A, HE
PARTICIPATED IN CLASSIFIED, COVERT OPERATIONS AIMED AT
THE PENETRATION OF CRYPTOGRAPHIC (COMMUNICATIONS)
SYSTEMS OF FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS. THE ALLEGED UNAUTHORIZED
DISCLOSURE OF THESE ACTIVITIES COULD HAVE A SIGNIFICANT
IMPACT ON THE NATIONAL SECURITY OF THE UNITED STATES.
/// END ACT. ///
FEDERAL OFFICIALS ALSO ALLEGE THAT MR. GROAT TRIED TO EXTORT HALF
A MILLION DOLLARS FROM THE C-I-A. ONCE AGAIN, U-S ATTORNEY WILMA
LEWIS.
/// LEWIS ACT. ///
GROAT HAS ALSO BEEN CHARGED WITH ONE COUNT OF ALLEGEDLY
ATTEMPTING TO EXTORT IN EXCESS OF FIVE-HUNDRED THOUSAND
DOLLARS FROM THE C-I-A IN RETURN FOR AGREEING NOT TO
REVEAL TO FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS C-I-A ACTIVITIES AND
METHODS THAT WERE KNOWN TO HIM AS A RESULT OF HIS
EMPLOYMENT.
/// END ACT. ///
DURNG A COURT APPEARANCE FRIDAY, MR. GROAT PLED NOT GUILTY TO ALL
FIVE COUNTS. HE WILL APPEAR IN COURT AGAIN NEXT WEEK FOR A
HEARING ON WHETHER OR NOT HE SHOULD BE HELD WITHOUT BOND UNTIL
HIS TRIAL. FEDERAL OFFICIALS WANT TO KEEP HIM DETAINED, ARGUING
THAT HIS EXPERTISE IN DISGUISE AND DECEPTION MAKE HIM A THREAT TO
FLEE THE COUNTRY.
THE GROAT CASE OF ALLEGED ESPIONAGE IS THE LATEST OF SEVERAL SPY
CASES WHICH HAVE ROCKED THE C-I-A IN RECENT YEARS. IN 1994,
FORMER C-I-A OFFICIAL ALDRICH AMES WAS ARRESTED AND PLED GUILTY
TO BETRAYING AT LEAST 11 C-I-A AGENTS WORKING IN THE FORMER
SOVIET UNION AND EASTERN EUROPE. LAST YEAR, HAROLD NICHOLSON
BECAME THE HIGHEST-RANKING C-I-A OFFICER EVER CONVICTED IN A SPY
CASE WHEN HE ALSO PLED GUILTY TO SPYING FOR MOSCOW. (SIGNED)
NEB/JBM/KL
03-Apr-98 2:15 PM EST (1915 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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