Various: Updated 10/26/09: A lawyer for the Justice Department said in court on Tuesday that Stewart Nozette, a scientist who worked for NASA and the Defense Department before being arrested on 19 October 2009 on espionage charges, had been willing to sell some of America’s “most guarded secrets” to a man he believed to be an Israeli intelligence officer but was in fact an undercover FBI officer writes New York Times reporter Robert Mackey.
Stewart Nozette (Credit: NASA)Recently, Nozette, who had worked on the Clementine spacecraft in the 1990s, had been working on NASA instrument that was on board India's Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft, which recently found evidence of water on the Moon.
The Washington Post reported on 26 October that Nozette had pleaded guilty in January to over-billing NASA and the Defense Department more than $265,000 for contracting work. The court documents were sealed because Nozette was cooperating with authorities in unrelated investigations into government corruption.
Nozette admitted that he used that money to help pay personal credit card bills, car loans and maintenance costs for his swimming pool. He faced at least two years in prison under federal sentencing guidelines, according to the plea papers.
The Justice Department in a statement announcing his arrest said that Nozette had worked at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory from approximately 1990 to 1999. Nozette held a special security clearance equivalent to the Defense Department Top Secret and Critical Nuclear Weapon Design Information clearances. Department of Energy clearances apply to access to information specifically relating to atomic or nuclear-related materials
"Those who would put our nation’s defense secrets up for sale can expect to be vigorously prosecuted," said Channing D. Phillips, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. "This case reflects our firm resolve to hold accountable any individual who betrays the public trust by compromising our national security for his or her own personal gain."
Related news story
FBI arrests US scientist on spying charges The Guardian
Espionage suspect had guilty plea in fraud Washington Post
Leave a comment