Sergeant Given 10-Year Term in Spying Attempt
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ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. — A military jury sentenced a decorated Army sergeant Friday to 10 years in prison for passing unclassified documents to an FBI agent who was posing as a Soviet spy.
Sgt. Daniel Walter Richardson, 42, also was ordered to pay a fine totaling $36,000, demoted in rank and ordered discharged with a bad conduct record.
The same jury that convicted Richardson earlier in the day of attempted espionage deliberated about 2 1/2 hours before issuing its sentence, concluding a weeklong court-martial.
The verdict and sentence are subject to the review and approval of the commander of Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maj. Gen. George Akin, and automatically will be appealed to the Army Court of Military Review.
Richardson, a 19-year veteran, also was convicted Friday of stealing government property, unauthorized sale of government property and failure to report an attempt by an unauthorized person to obtain classified information. He was acquitted of a second count of attempted espionage.
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