National Perspective : ESPIONAGE : America’s Most-Notorious Spies

The Aldrich H. Ames spy case has thrown a spotlight on America’s espionage community. Here is a rundown of some of America’s most notorious spy cases:

NAME/POST: John A. Walker, retired Navy warrant officer

WHAT THEY DID: Pleaded guilty in 1985 to charges of spying for the former Soviet Union while a shipboard communications officer. After his retirement, Walker recruited his son, brother and a friend to supply new information.

WHEREABOUTS: Serving 30 years; eligible for parole in May, 1995.

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NAME/POST: Michael L. Walker, Walker’s son, former Navy seaman

WHAT THEY DID: Convicted in 1986 for spying and received a 25--year prison sentence in exchange for his father’s cooperation.

WHEREABOUTS: Sentence expires in the year 2000.

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NAME/POST: Arthur Walker, Walker’s brother, former Navy lt. commander

WHAT THEY DID: Convicted in 1985 for stealing secret documents and giving them to his brother for delivery to the Soviets. He was given three life sentences plus 40 years.

WHEREABOUTS: Eligible for paroll in May, 1995.

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NAME/POST: Jerry A. Whitworth, former Navy chief petty officer

WHAT THEY DID: Received the stiffest penalty of any member of the spy ring, a 365--year prison sentence at the federal penitentiary in Levenworth, Kan.

WHEREABOUTS: Eligibe for parole in 2046 at the age of 106.

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NAME/POST: Larry Wu-Tai Chin, CIA translator

WHAT THEY DID: Convicted in 1986 of spying for China.

WHEREABOUTS: Killed himself after his conviction.

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NAME/POST: Sharon Scranage, former CIA clerk

WHAT THEY DID: Convicted in 1985 of revealing classified information and disclosing the names of persons working for the CIA to her Ghanaian boyfriend while employed in Ghana.

WHEREABOUTS: Sentenced to five years in prison: released in May, 1987.

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NAME/POST: Edward Lee Howard, former CIA officer

WHAT THEY DID: Accused of selling secrets to the Soviets that seriously damaged the U.S. spy operation in Moscow.

WHEREABOUTS: Fled country in 1985 during probe; living in Russia under asylum.

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NAME/POST: David H. Barnett, former CIA agent

WHAT THEY DID: Convicted in 1981 of spying for the Soviet Union from 1976 to 1979 while based in Indonesia.

WHEREABOUTS: Paroled in 1990.

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NAME/POST: Ronald W. Pelton, former National Security Agency employee

WHAT THEY DID: Convicted in 1986 of selling information to the Soviet Union and sentenced to life imprisonment.

WHEREABOUTS: Pelton will be eligible for parole in November, 1995.

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NAME/POST: Jonathan Jay Pollard, civilian Navy intelligence analyst

WHAT THEY DID: Convicted in 1987 and sentenced to life imprisonment for conspiracy to committ espionage for Israel.

WHEREABOUTS: Eligible for parole in November, 1995 but clemency possible.

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NAME/POST: Karl F. Koecher, former CIA contract translator

WHAT THEY DID: Arrested in 1984 and charged with spying for the Czechoslovak intelligence service for 19 years.

WHEREABOUTS: Pleaded not guilty; exchanged in 1986 in a prisoner swap.

Researched by RAY DELGADO / Los Angeles Times