In a gripping saga of espionage and treachery, Alexander Yuk Ching Ma, a former CIA operative turned traitor, has been sentenced to ten years in federal pr!son for selling classified US intelligence to China.
The 71-year-old, who was apprehended in August 2020, confessed his crimes to an undercover FBI agent during a covert operation.
Ma’s journey began in Hong Kong, where he was born, before he migrated to the United States and became a naturalized citizen. He joined the CIA in 1982, where he worked until 1989.
Later, in 2004, he reentered the world of intelligence, this time as a contract linguist for the FBI.
His betrayal came to light when Ma was caught red-handed in a sting operation. The FBI had been tracking him, suspecting he might be compromising national security.
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Evidence mounted when Ma was filmed in Hong Kong accepting a $50,000 cash bribe in exchange for sensitive information, a dramatic twist that revealed his deep-seated betrayal.
In a deal struck with the authorities, Ma agreed to a lifetime of cooperation with US prosecutors, including enduring regular polygraph tests. His sentence not only includes ten years behind bars but also five years of supervised release.
Ma’s relative, also a CIA officer, was implicated in the scandal but passed away before he could be brought to justice.
During the sentencing, government attorneys highlighted Ma’s ongoing cooperation with federal agents, underscoring the gravity of his crimes. FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Steven Merrill issued a stern warning: “Let this serve as a message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be served.”
