1986 - 1987     Return to   HOME   DATES   NAMES   ORGANIZATIONS

1987 - HOU DESHENG, a military attaché of the People's Republic of China, was detained by FBI agents on 21 December while attempting to obtain Secret National Security Agency documents from a federal employee. Desheng was taken into custody at a restaurant in Washington's Chinatown after accepting what he believed to be classified NSA documents. The federal employee, a US citizen, had been working under FBI direction. Arrested at the same time was ZANG WEICHU, a PRC consular official in Chicago. Both diplomats were asked to leave the country as a result of "activities incompatible with their diplomatic status" – the first Chinese diplomats expelled since formal relations were established with the PRC in 1979.

New York Times, 31 Dec 1987, "2 Chinese Depart in Espionage Case"
Washington Post, 31 Dec 1987, "US Expels Two Chinese Diplomats as Spies"

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1987 - MIKHAIL KATKOV, a second secretary assigned to the Soviet Mission at the United Nations was detained in New York City on 17 December as he was attempting to acquire defense-related technology. He was ordered to leave the country on the following day. Although few details about the case have been released, officials acknowledged that Katkov had been under surveillance for "some time" and that his activities amounted to "not a huge deal, but nonetheless serious espionage." According to a State Department source, Katkov is the 42nd Soviet representative to have been expelled from the United States for espionage since 1950.

Washington Post 18 Dec 1987, "Soviet Aide Detained by FBI, To Be Expelled for Espionage"
New York Times, 19 Dec 1987, "US is Expelling Soviet Diplomat at U.N. as a Spy"

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1986 - ALLEN JOHN DAVIES, former Air Force sergeant and, at the time of his arrest, a lab technician at a Silicon Valley defense contractor, was formally charged on 27 October with trying to pass classified information to the agents of the Soviet Union. Davies, a ten-year veteran who was separated from active service for poor job performance in 1984, had held a Secret clearance during his military service and worked as an avionic sensors system technician. According to the FBI, on 22 September Davies met with an FBI undercover agent posing as a Soviet official in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. During the meeting Davies provided detailed verbal information and a hand drawing concerning US reconnaissance technology. At a second meeting in October he provided additional classified information. According to Davies's recorded statement, he was motivated "out of revenge because of the unfair way he was treated while in the Air Force." He is also quoted as saying that he wanted to do something to embarrass the United States and to interfere with the effectiveness of its reconnaissance activities. Asked why he waited two years before providing the information, Davies said he waited "just to make sure they couldn't link me with it if I told anybody, just sort of ... hide my trail."

Davies, born in Eastleigh, England in 1953, became a naturalized US citizen at the age of eleven. Since October 1984, he had been employed by Ford Aerospace and Communications Corporation in Palo Alto. Federal officials stated that the former airman did not currently hold a clearance and that no information from the contractor facility was involved in the case. Davies was released on $200,000 bail with the condition that he undergo psychological evaluation. But on 27 May 1987 he pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of attempting to communicate secrets to an unauthorized person. Davies was sentenced on 27 August 1987 to five years in prison.

Washington Post, 28 Oct 1986, "FBI Arrests Ex-Airman on Espionage Charges"
Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct 1986, "San Jose Man Angry at AF Is Arrested as Would-Be Spy"

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1986 - GENNADIY F. ZAKHAROV, Soviet physicist employed at the United Nations Secretariat, was arrested on 23 August on a Queens, New York, subway platform as he gave $1000 to an employee of a US Defense contractor for three classified documents. Zakharov, who did not have diplomatic immunity, had attempted to recruit the employee over a period of three years. At the time of Zakharov's first approach, the individual, a Guyanese national and resident alien of the US, was in his junior year at Queens College, New York. Zakharov met with the student on numerous occasions and paid several thousand dollars for a wide range of technical but unclassified information about robotics, computers, and artificial intelligence.

At the time of Zakharov's first approach in April 1983, the recruitment target, identified only by the code name "Birg," informed the FBI and agreed to work under FBI control in order to apprehend the Soviet agent. Following his graduation in 1985, Birg obtained a position with a high-technology firm. Under FBI direction, he agreed to sign a ten-year written contract with Zakharov to provide classified information. Money to be paid by the Soviets was to be determined by the quantity and quality of the information. On 30 September, Zakharov pleaded no contest to espionage charges and was ordered to leave the country within 24 hours. Zakharov's expulsion came less than 24 hours after the release of American correspondent Nicholas Daniloff who had been arrested in the Soviet Union for alleged espionage activities.

New York Times, 24 Aug 1986, "A Soviet Official Assigned to U.N. is Seized as a Spy"
New York Times,  25 Aug 1986, "Russian's Arrest Called Example of Spy Threat"
New York times,  26 Aug 1986, "US Investigating Further Spy Cases in New York Area"

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1986 - BRUCE D. OTT, Airman 1st Class, assigned duties as an administrative clerk at Beale Air Force Base, was arrested 22 January by FBI and Air Force Security agents at a Davis, California, motel as he attempted to sell classified information to undercover agents posing as Soviet representatives. One of the documents cited is "The SAC Tactical Doctrine for SR-71 Crews." At that time, Beale AFB was the home base of SR-71 "blackbird" reconnaissance aircraft. It is reported that Ott tried to contact representatives at the Soviet Consulate in San Francisco during the month of January. His communication was intercepted and no classified information actually changed hands. Military prosecutors contended that Ott hoped to be paid up to $160,000 for his information. Following an eight-day court martial proceeding, Ott was found guilty and on 7 August was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

New York Times, 29 Jan 1986, "Airman in California Charged in New Spy Case"
New York Times, 1 Feb 1986, "Details are given on Spying Charge"

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1986 - ROBERT DEAN HAGUEWOOD, Petty Officer 3rd Class, was arrested 4 March by agents of the Naval Investigative Service after allegedly selling part of a Confidential aviation ordinance manual to an undercover police officer. Haguewood, who was stationed at the Pacific Missile Test Center at Point Mugu Naval Air Station near Oxnard, California, reportedly asked around town for someone who would pay for secret information about Naval ordinance. He was placed under surveillance by agents of the Naval Investigative Service who with the FBI and local police officials made the arrest on 4 March after Haguewood received a payment of $360 for the classified document at a beach location. No contact was made with foreign representatives and no information is known to have been compromised. Haguewood was reported to have had serious financial problems. On 20 June, Haguewood pleaded guilty under a plea-bargain agreement and receive a sentence of two years from a military court.

Washington Post, 20 Jun 1986, "Sale of 'Secrets' To Put Sailor Behind Bars"
New York Times, 11 Mar 1986, "Navy Man Arrested in Spy Case"
Washington Post, 1 Mar 1986, "Sailor Allegedly Tried to Sell Manual"

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1986 - VLADIMIR M. ISMAYLOV, senior Soviet military attaché, was arrested on 19 June at a remote site in Prince George's County, Maryland, after retrieving Secret documents left by a US Air Force officer who was working undercover with counterespionage agents of the AFOSI and the FBI. Until his expulsion for activities incompatible with his diplomatic role, Col. Ismaylov was the highest ranking air force officer at the Soviet Embassy. Ismaylov, apprehended as he buried a milk carton with $41,100 for the US officer, scuffled briefly with FBI agents. According to an FBI spokesman, the Soviet attaché was after information about the Strategic Defense Initiative research program, and data on the cruise missile, stealth bomber, and a hypersonic passenger jet known as the Trans-Atmospheric Vehicle. The operation was run by the GRU. According to the US officer, the Soviets evaluated the USAF officer for nearly a year before asking him to photograph classified documents. All transactions and communications were to be carried out by the use of dead drops at remote locations.

Washington Post, 21 Jun 1986, "Soviet Attaché Arrested, Expelled for Receiving Document"

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1986 - MICHAEL H. ALLEN, a retired Navy Senior Chief Radioman employed at the Cubi Point Naval Air Station in the Philippines, was arrested on suspicion of espionage by Navy security agents on 4 December. Allen, who had been working as a civilian clerk, retired from the Navy in 1972. The employee confessed to passing classified US counterintelligence reports to Philippine intelligence officers after seeing a videotape of himself hiding documents in his pockets. When apprehended he had a photocopy of a Secret page on his person; six other classified documents were seized at his residence. The charges covered the period between July and December 1986 during which time he was accused of photocopying and removing classified material from the communication center.

According to the Naval Investigative Service, Allen's activities may have resulted in the compromising of important Filipino intelligence sources. Prosecutors argued that Allen's main reason for providing secrets to the Filipinos was to promote his local business interests which included a used car dealership, a bar, and a cockfighting ring. On 14 August 1987, a court martial in San Diego found Allen guilty of 10 counts of espionage and sentenced him to eight years in prison. The six-officer panel also imposed a $10,000 fine on the former radioman.

New York Times, 12 Dec 1986, "Navy Employee Held in Espionage-Related Case"
Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug 1987, "Linked to Filipinos; Ex-Navy Man Found Guilty

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1986 - CLAYTON J. LONETREE, Marine Corps security guard at the US Embassy in Moscow from September 1984 to March 1986, and later in Vienna, was placed under detention on 31 December 1986 after he acknowledged his involvement with a female KGB officer, Violette Seina, who had previously been a telephone operator and translator at the US Embassy in Moscow. Soon after their relationship began, Seina introduced Lonetree to her "Uncle Sasha" who was later identified by US intelligence as being a KGB agent. It was alleged at the time that Sgt. Lonetree had a sexual liaison with Seina, and had in fact allowed Soviet agents after-hours access to the US Embassy.

In December 1986, Lonetree turned himself in to authorities at the US Embassy in Vienna, Austria, where he was stationed. Also arrested and charged with collaboration with Lonetree was Corporal Arnold Bracy who was also alleged to have been romantically involved with Soviet women. As the investigation proceeded, five other Marine guards were detained on suspicion of espionage, lying to investigators, or for improper fraternization with foreign nationals. Lonetree was tried on 13 counts including espionage. Among these counts were charges that he conspired with Soviet agents to gather names and photographs of American intelligence agents, to provide personality data on American intelligence agents, and to provide information concerning the floor plans of the US Embassies in Moscow and Vienna.

On 21 August 1987 Lonetree was convicted of espionage and 12 related counts by a military court. Three days later he was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment, fined $5,000, loss of all pay and allowances, reduced to the rank of private, and given a dishonorable discharge. Espionage charges against Bracy and all of the other Marines have since been dropped. According to reports in late 1987, intensive investigations have led to the conclusion that the former guards did not, as earlier believed, allow Soviet agents to penetrate the US Embassy in Moscow. In May, 1988, Lonetree's sentence was reduced to 25 years, in 1992 to 20 years, and later to 15 years. In February 1996 he was released.

Washington Post, 10 Feb 1987, "'Success Story' Marine May Face Trial for His Life"
Washington Post, 30 Jul 1987, "Envoy Blamed for Lax Security"
Washington Post, 17 Jan 1988, "Spy Scandal Snowballed, Melted Away"
Richmond Times-Dispatch, 25 February 1996, "Lonetree May Find Stigma Lives On"
Naval Investigative Service Command, Espionage, 1989

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