Former CIA Officer Alexander Yuk Ching Ma, who has been accused of engaging in espionage activities for the Chinese Communist Party for at least 10 years, pleaded guilty in a federal court in Honolulu on Friday, May 24th. Ma, who is 71 years old, had previously worked for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and as a contract language expert for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Since his arrest in August 2020, Ma has been under detention. The U.S. Department of Justice stated in court documents that they have gathered “significant concrete evidence” against him, including a one-hour-long video.
In the video, Ma and an older relative, who was also a former CIA employee, were seen providing defense secrets to Chinese intelligence officers in 2001.
Prosecutors mentioned that in the video, Ma was seen counting $50,000 in cash he received from Chinese operatives.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice statement, Ma and his accomplice, both American citizens born in Hong Kong and Shanghai respectively, had held top-secret security clearances that allowed them access to sensitive CIA information.
Ma admitted in the plea agreement that in March 2001, at the request of Chinese national security officials in Shanghai, he persuaded his relative accomplice to meet with Chinese officials in a hotel room in Hong Kong.
Over the course of three days, Ma and his accomplice provided a substantial amount of U.S. defense secrets to the Chinese government.
By the end of the third day, the Chinese intelligence officers handed them $50,000 in cash. Ma was observed counting the money and agreed to continue cooperating.
In March 2003, Ma applied for a contract linguist position with the FBI office in Honolulu.
The Department of Justice stated that the FBI was already aware of Ma’s ties to Chinese intelligence at the time and, in order to conduct a thorough investigation, they hired Ma to work at a different location to monitor his activities and investigate his contacts with China.
Prosecutors claimed that over the next 6 years, Ma routinely copied, photographed, and stole classified documents. They said he often traveled to China with these classified materials, returning with thousands of dollars in cash and expensive gifts such as a new set of golf clubs.
Ma confessed that in 2006, Chinese officials sent him many photos of individuals and asked for their identities. He again persuaded his relative accomplice to confirm the identities of at least two individuals to the Chinese officials.
The charges stated that the provided classified information included CIA’s sources and assets, international operations, secure communication methods, and espionage techniques.
During his plea, Ma admitted that everything the prosecution described was true. He acknowledged signing nondisclosure agreements and knowing that providing information to Chinese intelligence officials could harm the U.S. or aid a foreign government even after leaving the CIA.
As per the plea agreement, Ma admitted to one count of conspiring to collect or convey national defense information to a foreign government. He is required to cooperate with the U.S. government, provide additional details, and undergo a polygraph examination.
If the court accepts the plea agreement, the agreed-upon sentence is 10 years in prison, with the judge retaining final sentencing authority. If no agreement is reached, he could face life imprisonment.
Sentencing for Ma is scheduled for September 11th.
In 2021, Ma’s former defense attorney informed the court that Ma believed he was suffering from early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, leading to memory loss, in an attempt to mitigate his sentence.
During the defense motion, it was mentioned that Ma’s brother, who was his accomplice, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s ten years ago and was not prosecuted by the authorities due to incapacity.
Last year, the court ruled that Ma was mentally competent and did not exhibit major mental illnesses, disorders, or defects.
Prosecutors revealed in court on Friday that the accomplice has since passed away.