Former CIA officer sentenced to 20 years for spying for China

A former official of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was on Friday sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment for spying for China.

The former official, Kevin Mallory, 62, of Leesburg, Virginia, is an Army veteran who also worked for the Central Intelligence Agency and the Defense Intelligence Agency, and had a top-secret security clearance until he stopped working as a CIA contractor in 2012. He then launched his own consulting business.

Former CIA officer Kevin Mallory sentenced to 20 years in prison for #espionage conspiracy. Passed classified documents to Chinese intelligence officer using covert communications device. https://t.co/ll7agplThb

— U.S. Attorney EDVA (@EDVAnews) May 17, 2019

Mallory, 62, was found guilty by a federal jury in June 2018 of conspiracy to deliver, attempted delivery, delivery of national defence information to aid a foreign government and making material false statements.

Mallory had previously been accused of sharing classified information with a defence contractor in 2010 while trying to start his consulting business, and his security clearance was revoked.

Mallory is one of three former intelligence officers charged in recent years with helping China.