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Eugene

(61,595 posts)
Mon Sep 12, 2022, 06:40 PM Sep 2022

NSA analyst jailed for life for selling US secrets to Soviets dies aged 80

Source: The Guardian

NSA analyst jailed for life for selling US secrets to Soviets dies aged 80

Ronald Pelton, convicted of espionage in 1986, said he accepted money from America’s cold war enemy because he was desperate

Erum Salam
Mon 12 Sep 2022 20.55 BST
Last modified on Mon 12 Sep 2022 21.46 BST

A former National Security Agency analyst who was arguably its most damaging traitor and became famous for aiding the Soviets during the cold war died last week, according to an obituary posted on the website of a Maryland funeral home.

Ronald William Pelton was 80.

Pelton was an NSA intelligence communications specialist who, in November 1985, was arrested for selling government secrets to the Soviet Union. He spent about three decades in prison before he completed serving his sentence in 2015.

Pelton’s crimes included selling defense and communication secrets for upwards of $35,000. His most notable breach of trust was informing Soviet intelligence of “Operation Ivy Bells”, a plan put forward by the NSA and the US navy to tap the Soviets’ underwater communication cables.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/sep/12/nsa-analyst-ronald-pelton-soviets-secrets-dies

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NSA analyst jailed for life for selling US secrets to Soviets dies aged 80 (Original Post) Eugene Sep 2022 OP
Good riddance to bad rubbish! SheltieLover Sep 2022 #1
30 years wasn't enough, in my humble opinion. secondwind Sep 2022 #2
Well- James48 Sep 2022 #3
I believe the 2 billion whathehell Sep 2022 #5
The $2billion actually went to Jared's investment fund as start up capital Fiendish Thingy Sep 2022 #6
That may well be, but whathehell Sep 2022 #8
Seems Like A Harsh Sentence For A Document Storage Dispute /s nt smb Sep 2022 #4
EMPTY CELL! 2naSalit Sep 2022 #7

James48

(4,416 posts)
3. Well-
Mon Sep 12, 2022, 06:46 PM
Sep 2022

If $35,000 worth of secret docs gets you life in prison, I wonder how long we can lock Donald up, seeing as he got like $2 billion out of Saudi Arabia out if the deal.

whathehell

(28,969 posts)
5. I believe the 2 billion
Mon Sep 12, 2022, 07:18 PM
Sep 2022

actually went to Jared Kushner, though one could imagine he and Trump having a "deal".

Fiendish Thingy

(15,369 posts)
6. The $2billion actually went to Jared's investment fund as start up capital
Mon Sep 12, 2022, 07:29 PM
Sep 2022

I’m sure he’s skimmed some off the top for “fund management fees”, but he didn’t pocket the whole $2 billion- that’s seed money to entice unwitting marks to invest in his fund.

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