US scientist faces death for plot to spy for Israel

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"A leading US scientist who had worked at the White House and NASA could face execution for offering to sell secrets to Israel for two million dollars, according to documents filed in federal court.

Stewart David Nozette, 52, is set to appear in court Thursday for a hearing on whether he should remain in detention after he was arrested in a sting operation involving an FBI agent posing as an Israeli official.

Nozette, arrested October 18, is charged with two counts of attempted espionage for allegedly trying to sell secrets to Israel, according to court documents filed late Wednesday.

Based on the indictment allegations, "the maximum penalty the defendant faces, if convicted, is death," said the government filing supporting Nozette's continued detention pending trial.

In Nozette's talks with the alleged Israeli agent, the scientist said he wanted "roughly two million dollars as compensation for his espionage."

Nozette "delivered and communicated this classified information to an individual he believed was an Israeli intelligence officer in exchange for an alias, a foreign passport, and cash payments," and therefore should remain in detention, the court documents said.

In their final discussion, the undercover FBI agent handed Nozette 10,000 dollars in one hundred dollar bills, which he tried to hide inside a hotel bathroom toilet tank when federal agents arrested him.

The FBI also searched Nozette's safe deposit box at San Diego, California bank. He earlier told the undercover agent that he had opened safe deposit boxes "out of state" to hide valuable information in case US authorities searched his home in the suburbs of Washington.

"In the box, agents discovered (among other things) three computer drives, eight videotapes, fifty-five gold 'Krugerrand' coins worth roughly 50,000 dollars, and 30,000 dollars in savings bonds," read the document, suggesting Nozette would use the funds in case he had to flee.

The investigation appears to have been sparked by his consulting work with an Israeli company along with comments he made to a colleague."

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The traditional punishment is a long prison sentence.

something Greenglass confess that he had lied to the FBI and that in fact he may well have been the guilty one?

There have been several attempts to reopen the case. But they remain the only two people exectued for espionage.

of child murders, so no this guy IMO shouldn't get death, just a lengthy prison term

no matter how many israeli prime ministers petition the US govt for his release.

I do believe in life without the possibility of parole.

Some cases I'm not going to get upset if a totally henious crime that's 100% proven gets the death penalty, but in cases like this I find it barbaric and appalling that this man could get executed. I feel so strongly about it that even if he was guilty of spying, I'd rather throw my support behind him rather than support something that could end up in his death...

a case a couple of years back that happened in Oklahoma where a man murdered a young child he was caught in his home with the body just as he was about to make dinner of it, I should have been more clear in the post that I was referring to cases such as that and other extreme cases involving abduction, sexual abuse, torture coupled with murder when the victim is a child

I tend to go back and forth on those. I'm just glad my country did away with the death penalty many years ago...

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"A judge on Thursday ordered a U.S. space exploration scientist suspected of passing classified information to an FBI agent posing as an Israeli intelligence officer to stay behind bars.

Magistrate Judge Deborah Robinson decided there was too much of a flight risk for Stewart Nozette, 52, to be free while he awaits trial.

Nozette pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted espionage. He is accused of seeking $2 million for selling secrets to an undercover FBI agent posing as an Israeli intelligence officer. The Justice Department could seek the death penalty.

At the hearing, prosecutor Anthony Asuncion said Nozette told the agent he had passed classified information to Israel in the past. Nozette is not charged with doing so."

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And it certainly has nothing to do with the I/P conflict.

And you know very well topics that have to do with Israel, Palestine or the broader Middle East do get posted here and this forum is not narrowly focused on just the I/P conflict itself. In fact, I'm pretty sure if I spend some time in the archives, I'm going to find instances where you've posted things unrelated to the conflict itself...

for whatever that is worth, he was recorded saying he had previously passed on secrets to the government of Israel. Your repeated attempts to suggest that any news suggesting that the government of Israel is less t han perfect and holy should not be allowed in this forum are either lame or stupid. I pick lame, but you may, in your defense, argue for stupid.

Unnecessarily mean spirited post. My apologies.

upon well among the left. What ever happened to that left? Have so many become facsist-lite?

Sounds like a case of abject stupidity on yr part. Especially considering it's the death penalty part of it that's the issue being discussed in the thread. So, do you support the death penalty? Or are you just good for more silly insults about left-wingers?

if the man was accused of spying for say Egypt or Saudi Arabia under the same circumstances?