A former CIA officer and contract linguist for the FBI, Alexander Yuk Ching Ma, is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to conspiracy to gather or deliver national defense information to a foreign government. The 71-year-old faces a possible 10-year prison term as part of a plea agreement reached with federal prosecutors.
Ma, who had a top-secret security clearance, admitted to providing classified information to Chinese intelligence officers in exchange for cash, gifts, and other benefits. Born in Hong Kong, Ma became a U.S. citizen in 1975 and joined the CIA in 1982 before resigning in 1989.
