Alexander Yuk Ching Ma, a 71-year-old former CIA officer and FBI contract linguist, has agreed to a plea deal that could see him facing 10 years in prison for espionage activities on behalf of China. Accepting gifts including cash and golf clubs, Ma pleaded guilty to conspiring to deliver national defense information to a foreign government. The plea agreement also subjects him to lifelong polygraph tests as mandated by the U.S. government.
Ma’s espionage activities came to light following his arrest in 2020. Born in Hong Kong and a U.S. citizen since 1975, Ma joined the CIA in 1982, gaining top secret security clearance and engaging in significant intelligence work until resigning in 1989. His betrayal involved a pivotal meeting in a Hong Kong hotel in 2001, where he and his older brother, also a former CIA case officer, divulged a large volume of classified information to Chinese intelligence officers for a $50,000 payment.
Despite the gravity of his actions, Ma’s entanglement with Chinese intelligence extended into his period as an FBI linguist in Honolulu, where his activities were surveilled by U.S. authorities. Over six years, Ma continued to leak classified documents, benefiting from substantial sums of money and luxurious gifts from his handlers. His espionage culminated in a sting operation, revealing his deep-rooted desire to aid the “motherland.”
Following his guilty plea, Ma has participated in extensive debriefing sessions, providing the U.S. government with critical information about his espionage activities. These revelations come amidst a deep personal conflict highlighted in his correspondence to the judge, reflecting on his familial ties and the moral dilemmas they posed.
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