Arrests Espionage

Listing of 89 individuals arrested for espionage (or attempted espionage) involving the Department of the Navy. Click on links for more information.

Year Person Arrested Position Foreign Country Involved Notes/Links
1936 Thompson, Harry Thomas   USN Yeoman   Japan First prosecution under World War I Espionage Act during peacetime. Brief of the Confession of H.T. Thompson Undated
1936 Farnsworth, John Semer Former USN Officer Japan  
1939 Salich, Hafis       ONI Investigator Soviet Union Espionage Act upheld by U.S. Supreme Court
1941 Yoshikawa, Takeo   Japan  
1941

Tachibana, Itaru aka Tatibana

 LCDR Imperial Japanese Navy Japan

Letters between SECNAV Knox and ADM Blakely re the Arrest of Japanese Spy Tachibana Jun 27 1941

FBI file:  Itaru Tachibana and Toraichi Kono Espionage Case

 
1942 Dickinson, Velvalee New York City doll shop owner Japan  
1942 Kuehn, Otto   NAZI Sympathizer Japan Pearl Harbor spy – provided fleet locations to Japanese Consulate in Hawaii
1942 Bahr, Herbert NAZI Agent Germany Attempted to enter the U.S. aboard the internee repatriation vessel SS Drottningholm
1945 Roth, Andrew LT USNR, ONI Liaison to State Department Peoples Republic of China Charges Dropped
1950 Sobell, Morton  USN BuOrd Contractor Soviet Union Draft Recommendation for Implementing the Counterintelligence Mission following the arrest of Morton Sobell Oct 7 1950
1962 Drummond, Nelson C  USN Yeoman Soviet Union  
1967 Ledbetter, Gary L   USN Enlisted East Germany  
1968 Wine, Edward Hilledon   USN Sonar Tech Soviet Union Attempted
1975 Dedeyan, Sadhag K. and Paskalian, Sarkis O. Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory employee and a relative Soviet Union  
1978 Enger, Valdik and Chernyayev, Rudolf Soviet Intelligence Officers assigned to the United Nations Soviet Union First Soviet
Officials to stand trial for espionage in the U.S. Result of FBI-NIS double agent Operation Lemonaid. Zinyakin, Vladimir avoided arrest due to diplomatic immunity.
1979 Madsen, Eugene L.     USN Yeoman Organized Crime Attempted
1981 Baba, Stephen Anthony  USN Ensign South Africa  
1981 Murphy, Michael Richard USN Seaman Soviet Union Offered immunity in return for his cooperation
1982 Horton, Brian Patrick   USN Intelligence Specialist Soviet Union Attempted.
Advent of “Horton Clause” – post-trial grant of immunity in return for cooperation with damage assessment.
1982 Slavens, Brian Everett  USMC PFC Soviet Union Attempted
1983 Ellis, Robert Wade  USN Petty Officer Soviet Union Attempted
1983 Pickering, Jeffrey Loring USMC and USN Enlisted Soviet Union  
1983 Wold, Hans Palmer  USN Intelligence Specialist Soviet Union Attempted
1983 Zehe, Alfred East German Operative East Germany First East German operative arrested in U.S. Culmination of an NIS-FBI double agent operation. Traded with 3 others for 25 U.S. spies.
1984 Cordrey, Robert Ernest   USMC Enlisted Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia Attempted
1984 Kearn, Bruce Leland USN Operations Specialist Unidentified  
1984 Morison, Samuel Loring ONI Analyst United Kingdom Publisher First individual convicted under the 1917 Espionage Code for unauthorized disclosure to the press.
1984 Wolff, Jay Clyde Civilian Auto Painter and Former USN Enlisted Soviet Union  
1985 Garcia, Wilfredo M. USN Enlisted Philippines  
1985 Walker, John Anthony USN Radioman Soviet Union  
1985 Walker, Michael Lance USN Seaman Soviet Union Son of John Walker
1985 Whitworth, Jerry Alfred  USN Radioman Soviet Union  
1985 Walker, Arthur James USN LCDR (Retired) and Defense Contractor Soviet Union Brother of John Walker
1985 Hawkins, Stephen Dwayne USN Quartermaster   Attempted
1985 Pollard, Jonathan Jay  ONI/NIS Analyst Israel  
1985 Henderson-Pollard, Anne Wife of Jonathan Pollard Israel  
1985 Tobias, Michael Timothy USN Radioman Soviet Union Attempted
1985 Pizzo, Francis X. Nephew of Michael Tobias Soviet Union Attempted
1986 Allen, Michael Hahn   Civilian Clerk Republic of the Philippines Recalled to active duty for prosecution
1986 Haguewood, Robert Dean USN Petty Officer   Attempted
1986 Lonetree, Clayton John USMC Security Guard Soviet Union

1987 FLEMING, David USN CPO Photographer Unidentified Unauthorized possession of classified information
1988 Spade, Henry Otto Former USN Radio Operator Unidentified Unauthorized possession of classified information, but no transmission proven.
1988 Souther, Glen Michael USN Reserve Photographer’s Mate Soviet Union Fled to USSR and allegedly committed suicide before he could be arrested
1988 Ratkai, Stephen Joseph Soviet Illegal Soviet Union Result of a joint Canadian-U.S. double agent operation
1988 Garcia, Wilfredo  USN Enlisted MA1 Soviet Union Attempted
1989 Wilmoth, James USN Airman Recruit Soviet Union Attempted
1989 Brown,
Paul Russell		 USN Petty Officer Soviet Union Attempted
1988 Bush, Randall S. USN Enlisted Unidentified Foreign Power Attempted
1989 Schoof, Charles Edward USN Operations Specialist Soviet Union Attempted
1989 Hager, John Joseph USN Operations Specialist Soviet Union Attempted
1989 King, Donald Wayne USN Airman   Attempted
1989 Graf, Ronald Dean USN Airman Apprentice   Attempted
1989 Kunkle, Craig D. USN Chief Petty Officer Russia Attempted
1991 Anzalone, Charles Lee Francis USMC Telephone Lineman Russia Attempted
1993 Yen Men Kao Chinese Restaurant Owner China  
1995 Schwartz, Michael Stephen USN LCDR Saudi Arabia  
1996 Lessenthien, Kurt USN Nuclear Power Instructor Russia Attempted
1996 Kim, Robert ONI Computer Specialist Republic of Korea  
1998 Red Wasp Network Multiple Cuba Arrested were Alejandro ALONSO, Linda HERNANDEZ, Nilo HERNANDEZ, Gerado HERNANDEZ, Joseph SANTOS, Amarylis SANTOS, Antonio GUERRERO, Ramon LABANINO, Rene GONZALEZ and Fernando GONZALEZ.
1999 King, Daniel M. USN Cryptologic Petty Officer !st Class Russia Charges against King were dismissed by the Presiding Officer.
2000 Smith, Timothy Steven USN Civilian Seaman Unidentified Attempted
2004 Montaperto, Ronald N. DIA Intelligence Analyst China  
2005 Chi Mak;
Rebecca Chiu (Wife);
Tai Mak (Brother);
Fuk Li (sister-in-law);
Billy Mak (Nephew)		 Navy Contractor China  
2005 Aragoncillo, Leandro Retired USMC, FBI employee Republic of the Philippines  
2006 Weinmann, Ariel Jonathan USN Fire Control Technician Soviet Union  
2008 Abu-Jihaad, Hassan aka Hall, Paul R. Former USN Signalman Al-Qaeda  
2010 Martin, Bryan Minkyu    USNR Intelligence Specialist China Attempted
2012 Hoffman, Robert Patrck II USN Cryptologic Tech First Class Retired Russia Attempted
2014 Awwad, Mostafa Ahmed Civilian Norfolk Naval Shipyard Egypt Attempted
2016 Baker, James Robert Civilian, NAVSEA Systems Command Iran  
2016 Lin, Edward USN LCDR China Attempted
Charge-Sheet
2019 Kellogg, Stephen III USN Nuclear Electrician’s Mate Russia Attempted
2019 Briggs, Charles T. USN, Chief IT Technician Russia Alleged

Letters between SECNAV Knox and ADM Blakely re the Arrest of Japanese Spy Tatibana Jun 27 1941