Ex-CIA Officer Gets 20 Years in Prison for Trying to Spy for China, US DoJ Says

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - A former CIA officer has received a 20-year jail sentence after being convicted of seeking to send classified defence information to China in contravention of the Espionage Act, the Department of Justice said in a press release.

"Kevin Patrick Mallory, 62, of Leesburg, Virginia, was sentenced today to 20 years in prison… after being convicted under the Espionage Act for conspiracy to transmit national defense information to an agent of the People’s Republic of China," the release said on Friday.

Mallory visited China in March and April 2017 where he met with Michael Yang who worked for China's intelligence services, according to prosecutors. The defendant transferred four classified documents to Yang and his boss via a telecom device.

The former CIA officer was charged with lying to investigators, delivering, attempting to deliver defence documents in order to help foreign governments, the release added.