Scientist Stewart David Nozette, 54, will have some time to think over his espionage ways. He was nabbed in an FBI sting trying to spy for Israel.
The suburban D.C. scientist who once worked for the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the White House’s National Space Council, was sentenced Wednesday to 13 years in prison for attempted espionage, conspiracy to defraud the United States and tax evasion.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in D.C. said the sentenced covered two cases. In one of those, he pled guilty in September 2001 to attempted espionage for providing classified information to a person he believed was an Israeli intelligence officer, but was actually an FBI undercover agent.
In the other case, he pled guilty in January 2009 to fraud and tax charges stemming from more than $265,000 in false claims he submitted to the government, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Nozette had been in custody since his arrest for attempted espionage on Oct. 19, 2009. At the time, authorities said, he was awaiting sentencing on the fraud and tax evasion charges.
“Stewart Nozette’s greed exceeded his loyalty to our country,” said U.S. Attorney Ron Machen said in a statement. “He wasted his talent and ruined his reputation by agreeing to sell national secrets to someone he believed was a foreign agent. His time in prison will provide him ample opportunity to reflect on his decision to betray the United States.”
