In a significant case of national security breach, a former CIA officer, Alexander Yuk Ching Ma, was sentenced to a decade in prison for conspiring to transmit classified information to China. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed the 71-year-old’s imprisonment on Wednesday.

Ma, a Honolulu resident, was apprehended in August 2020 after he confessed to an undercover FBI agent about sharing confidential information with the Shanghai State Security Bureau (SSSB) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). His espionage activities spanned several years, compromising U.S. national defense information.

The undercover operation

Ma’s career with the CIA began in 1982 and concluded in 1989. His co-conspirator, a relative, had served with the agency from 1967 to 1983. Both men had top-secret security clearances, granting them access to sensitive CIA data, and had signed nondisclosure agreements.

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According to the DOJ, SSSB officers first contacted Ma in March 2001, arranging a meeting with both conspirators in a Hong Kong hotel room. Over three days, the co-conspirator handed over a substantial amount of classified information in return for $50,000. They agreed to continue providing intelligence to the Chinese agency.

Infiltrating the FBI

In a tactical move, Ma applied for a position as a contract linguist at the FBI’s Honolulu field office two years later. The FBI, aware of his connections with the PRC, hired him to discreetly monitor and investigate his interactions with the SSSB. From August 2004 to October 2012, Ma worked part-time at an offsite location for the FBI.

In February 2006, the SSB tasked Ma with identifying individuals in photographs. Ma successfully identified at least two individuals.

The court’s verdict

The DOJ emphasized that Ma admitted to conspiring with his partner and the SSSB to transmit information intended to compromise U.S. security or benefit the PRC. During Wednesday’s hearing, the government detailed Ma’s yearslong espionage conspiracy, revealing that his co-conspirator had obtained the exchanged information between 1967 and 1983.

Cooperation and sentencing

As part of the plea agreement, Ma must cooperate indefinitely with U.S. authorities, including undergoing debriefings by U.S. agencies. In addition to the 10-year imprisonment, Ma will face five years of supervised release.

The sentencing marks a stern warning against espionage activities and underscores the U.S. government’s commitment to safeguarding national security.