A former State Department analyst was sentenced to life in prison Friday for spying for Cuba for almost 30 years.
His wife and partner in spying received a sentence of six years and nine months, but will get credit for more than a year already served.
Kendall Myers, 73, pleaded guilty last November to conspiracy to commit espionage and wire fraud. His wife, Gwendolyn Steingraber Myers, 72, admitted to one count of conspiracy to gather and transmit national defense information.
Kendall Myers’ life sentence does not include the possibility of parole.
In a prepared statement, Myers said he and his wife never wanted to harm Americans.
“We wish to add at this time that we acted as we did for 30 years because of our ideals and beliefs,” he said. “We did not seek nor receive payment for our work. We did not act out of anger at the United States or from a feeling of anti-Americanism. Nor did we ever intend to hurt any individual Americans. Our overriding objective was to help the Cuban people defend their revolution. We also hoped to forestall conflict between the two countries.”
“We share the dreams and ideals of the Cuban revolution,” he added. “We are equally committed to helping the struggling people of the world, whether they are here at home or abroad.”
As part of their sentences, the couple also agreed to pay the government more than $1.7 million, a figure matching Kendall Myers’ estimated salary over the years while working for the U.S. government and secretly spying for Cuba.
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Article courtesy cnn.com
