DATE=4/3/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-229196
TITLE=C-I-A ALLEGED SPY (L)
BYLINE=JIM MALONE
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:   A FORMER MID-LEVEL EMPLOYEE FOR THE U-S CENTRAL 
INTELLIGENCE AGENCY WAS CHARGED WITH FOUR COUNTS OF ESPIONAGE 
FRIDAY AND ONE COUNT OF ATTEMPTED EXTORTION. FORMER C-I-A 
EMPLOYEE DOUGLAS GROAT APPEARED BEFORE A FEDERAL JUDGE IN 
WASHINGTON AND PLED NOT GUILTY TO ALL FIVE COUNTS. V-O-A 
CORRESPONDENT JIM MALONE WAS THERE AND HAS A REPORT.

TEXT:  FIFTY-YEAR OLD DOUGLAS GROAT WORKED FOR THE C-I-A FROM 
1980 UNTIL 1996. BUT ACCORDING TO FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT 
OFFICIALS, MR. GROAT WAS ALSO DOING SOME ILLEGAL WORK ON THE 
SIDE.

FEDERAL OFFICIALS UNSEALED AN INDICTMENT FRIDAY CHARGING MR. 
GROAT WITH FOUR COUNTS OF ESPIONAGE WHICH ALLEGEDLY INVOLVED 
PASSING U-S DEFENSE SECRETS AND INFORMATION ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS 
SYSTEMS TO TWO FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS.

FEDERAL OFFICIALS SAY THEY WILL NOT IDENTIFY THE TWO FOREIGN 
GOVERNMENTS INVOLVED IN THE CASE FOR NATIONAL SECURITY REASONS.

THE INVESTIGATION INTO MR. GROAT'S ACTIVITIES HAS BEEN UNDERWAY 
FOR A YEAR NOW AND WAS A JOINT EFFORT BY THE F-B-I AND THE U-S 
ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IN WASHINGTON. WILMA LEWIS IS THE U-S ATTORNEY 
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

                       /// LEWIS ACT. ///

         DURING GROAT'S EMPLOYMENT WITH THE C-I-A, HE 
         PARTICIPATED IN CLASSIFIED, COVERT OPERATIONS AIMED AT 
         THE PENETRATION OF CRYPTOGRAPHIC (COMMUNICATIONS) 
         SYSTEMS OF FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS. THE ALLEGED UNAUTHORIZED
         DISCLOSURE OF THESE ACTIVITIES COULD HAVE A SIGNIFICANT 
         IMPACT ON THE NATIONAL SECURITY OF THE UNITED STATES.

                        /// END ACT. ///

FEDERAL OFFICIALS ALSO ALLEGE THAT MR. GROAT TRIED TO EXTORT HALF
A MILLION DOLLARS FROM THE C-I-A. ONCE AGAIN, U-S ATTORNEY WILMA 
LEWIS.  

                       /// LEWIS ACT. ///

         GROAT HAS ALSO BEEN CHARGED WITH ONE COUNT OF ALLEGEDLY 
         ATTEMPTING TO EXTORT IN EXCESS OF FIVE-HUNDRED THOUSAND 
         DOLLARS FROM THE C-I-A IN RETURN FOR AGREEING NOT TO 
         REVEAL TO FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS C-I-A ACTIVITIES AND 
         METHODS THAT WERE KNOWN TO HIM AS A RESULT OF HIS 
         EMPLOYMENT.

                        /// END ACT. ///

DURNG A COURT APPEARANCE FRIDAY, MR. GROAT PLED NOT GUILTY TO ALL
FIVE COUNTS. HE WILL APPEAR IN COURT AGAIN NEXT WEEK FOR A 
HEARING ON WHETHER OR NOT HE SHOULD BE HELD WITHOUT BOND UNTIL 
HIS TRIAL. FEDERAL OFFICIALS WANT TO KEEP HIM DETAINED, ARGUING 
THAT HIS EXPERTISE IN DISGUISE AND DECEPTION MAKE HIM A THREAT TO
FLEE THE COUNTRY.

THE GROAT CASE OF ALLEGED ESPIONAGE IS THE LATEST OF SEVERAL SPY 
CASES WHICH HAVE ROCKED THE C-I-A IN RECENT YEARS. IN 1994, 
FORMER C-I-A OFFICIAL ALDRICH AMES WAS ARRESTED AND PLED GUILTY 
TO BETRAYING AT LEAST 11 C-I-A AGENTS WORKING IN THE FORMER 
SOVIET UNION AND EASTERN EUROPE. LAST YEAR, HAROLD NICHOLSON 
BECAME THE HIGHEST-RANKING C-I-A OFFICER EVER CONVICTED IN A SPY 
CASE WHEN HE ALSO PLED GUILTY TO SPYING FOR MOSCOW. (SIGNED)

NEB/JBM/KL





03-Apr-98 2:15 PM EST (1915 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.