Former CIA Spy Accused Of Espionage From Prison
- Posted on October 4, 2010 at 12:30am by
Jonathon M. Seidl
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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An ex-CIA spy slipped messages to his son from prison through paper napkins wadded into balls, despite the best efforts of the intelligence agency to monitor his communications, government prosecutors said in a pretrial filing.
The Oregonian newspaper reports that according to court papers prosecutors filed Friday, Harold Nicholson, 59, sent his son around the globe to collect what he considered to be his “pension,” and told the Russian government about his older children’s debt. In the notes, prosecutors said, Nicholson sought financial assistance from the Russians and let them know he would help them if he could.
He also told them he was thankful for the money and reassured them his son was trustworthy.
The elder Nicholson pleaded guilty in 1997 to conspiring to commit espionage after being paid $300,000 to pass CIA secrets to the Russians. He is serving more than 23 years at the federal prison in Sheridan, just south of Portland.
According to the recent court filings, the CIA reviewed every letter Nicholson wrote, monitored his phone calls and approved every person who visited, called or wrote to him, yet he was still able to mount the conspiracy to which his son, Nathaniel Nicholson, pleaded guilty last year.
Nathaniel Nicholson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The trial for Harold Nicholson on the same charges begins next week in U.S. District Court in Portland, Ore.
The younger Nicholson admitted traveling to San Francisco, Mexico City, Lima, Peru and Nicosia, Cyprus, to meet with agents of the Russian Federation on behalf of his father. He took about $45,000 in payments from the Russian agents, who wanted to determine how much U.S. agencies had learned about their operations during the investigation of the elder Nicholson. He said he gave most of the money to family members, at his father’s direction.
The 26-year-old Nicholson agreed to testify, if required, against his imprisoned father in a plea deal that could help him avoid jail time.
“Nathaniel was excited about the prospect of acting in a clandestine fashion like his father,” prosecutors wrote in a pretrial memo.
A pretrial memo from Harold Nicholson’s defense team acknowledges that the pair hatched an “ill-conceived” but successful plan to get the money to Nicholson’s family. The memo doesn’t dispute that they carried out the plan, but contends that Nicholson didn’t commit a crime.
“Simply put,” wrote defense lawyers Sam Kauffman and Robert Weaver, “it is not illegal for someone to ask a foreign government for financial assistance, even if that person has previously been convicted of espionage.”
___
Information from: The Oregonian, http://www.oregonlive.com
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Billsocal
Posted on October 4, 2010 at 11:23pmThis why we need to start firing squads for Treason again. He sold out this country. If he had been a Russian selling out the Russians. It would have been a bullet to the back of the head no questions asked.
Report Post »asmith
Posted on October 4, 2010 at 7:42pmThe CIA is spooky and untrustworthy. I am not surprised that that guy is still alive. He is CIA after all.
Report Post »Cthulu
Posted on October 4, 2010 at 10:25amYes! This traitorous piece of dog excreta should have been executed.
Report Post »paleoconservatarian
Posted on October 4, 2010 at 10:16amWhy the bloodlust? The traitor provided us with another conviction and a further insight into Russian spy operations and all it cost the Russians was $45,000. Sounds like a good deal for us.
Report Post »umrebels1991
Posted on October 5, 2010 at 2:31pmI don’t know if we read the same article or not, but in the article it said he sold OUR secrets to the Russians meaning he was spying on us not Russia.
And it’s not bloodlust. It’s the law. The penalty for treason in America back to the 1770s always has been and still is death by hanging. Although now I’m sure we would use lethal injection.
Report Post »papajerk
Posted on October 4, 2010 at 9:40amExecution is the solution…
Report Post »walkwithme1966
Posted on October 4, 2010 at 7:30amhttp://wp.me/pYLB7-av
Report Post »Lunar
Posted on October 4, 2010 at 2:06amIn this current government with how damaged its own reputation has become I wouldn’t trust a treason trial at all. The man has been behind jail to long to damage any current running Op. I can‘t fault the son I mean dad’s a spy and he was helping him. Last time I looked thats tied for number 1 on things you help family with, help dad spy, go fishing with dad, move bodies etc.
When a spy turns as is the case here a treason trial really doesn’t work. During the trials of serving his country in the job as a spy something made him crack. Maybe they also knew where his family was, so he turned. I mean they know his son well enough now, maybe they’ve had pics of him for awhile. Sure $300K buys lubricant for the file drawer that held whatever he took, we wont know probably ever what the whole story is here.
Report Post »RobertCA
Posted on October 4, 2010 at 1:03amWill someone jail this 2 lawyers & execute the F’in SPY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! why we have to feed him & get him medical assistance for the rest of his life when he’s still SPYING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Report Post »AmericanPatriot01
Posted on October 4, 2010 at 3:27amif we kill him he can re-incarnate or something like that.
Report Post »RobertCA
Posted on October 4, 2010 at 5:22pmLet’s kill him first & worry about it later .
Report Post »matthew s harrison
Posted on October 4, 2010 at 1:01amAnother traitor who should have been executed, but alas, why should the US start following its own laws now?
Report Post »GBMBulletsSKNRD
Posted on October 4, 2010 at 12:48amTreason is punishable by death. What seems to be the problem?
Report Post »carol m
Posted on October 4, 2010 at 1:10amJust take a look at our POTUS and you will understand why. Also he is probably afraid that his head and those of his czars will also be on the block for treason.
Report Post »joseph Fawcett
Posted on October 4, 2010 at 12:39amHummm, even jail birds in the cage can still contiue to decieve. They should just put him on a resisted no visitor list and be done with it or hang him for treason.
http://www.josephfawcettart.com (my western art)
Report Post »GBMBulletsSKNRD
Posted on October 4, 2010 at 12:55amWow, you are a very talented man. I do not have time to read what is on your site right now but I will visit it later. Thank you.
Report Post »DaytonConserve
Posted on October 4, 2010 at 12:38amIn Ohio and many other states, last day to register to be able to vote on November 2nd is today, Monday, October 4th. You know what to do in order to protect liberty.
Report Post »AlaskaRick
Posted on October 4, 2010 at 5:55amDeath for treason! People forget that when CIA secrets are passed to foreign powers people get killed.
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