Selling secrets in China, sentenced to 19 years in prison

The sentence pronounced for Jerry Chun Shing Lee, 55, by a federal judge in Alexandria, Virginia on Friday, was evidently longer than the 10 years sought by defence lawyers.

Lee was found guilty of plotting to commit spying in May, but prosecutors and defence lawyers disagreed if there was evidence that Lee would commit any actual spying.

Prosecutors say Chinese intelligence officers gave Lee more than $140,000 over a three-year period starting in 2010, and that Lee probably gave them all the information he had from a 13-year career as a CIA officer. They sought a prison for more than 20 years.

Defence lawyers say the government never confirmed that money came from China or that Lee had ever carried out any plans to give government secrets.

Prosecutors acknowledged that they had no direct evidence to prove what was broadcast, nor evidence that $180,000 in cash was deposited in his bank account by Chinese intelligence.

But prosecutors said Lee was never able to come up with a good explanation of where he got the money.

He ran a tobacco business in Hong Kong, but was essentially a failure, prosecutors said.

Small said Chinese intelligence officers who met with Lee also gave him more than 20 degrees in which they asked for details of the CIA's staff, how they communicate with resources and store their cover.

In particular, Lee's case drew comparisons with Kevin Malloy, a former CIA officer who was sentenced to 20 years in prison earlier this year for revealing secrets in China in exchange for 25,000 dollars.

Lee, for his part, apologized for his actions. I take full responsibility for my behavior”, said Lee, a natural American citizen who emigrated to Hawaii from Hong Kong with his family when he was 15. /Telegraphy/