US district judge in Hawaii sentences ex-CIA officer to prison for spying for China

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A former Central Intelligence Officer was sentenced Wednesday to federal prison for conspiring to gather and deliver national defense information for China.

Chief U.S. District Judge Derrick K. Watson sentenced 71-year-old Alexander Yuk Ching Ma — who had pleaded guilty in May — to 10 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.

Ma worked for the CIA from 1982 until 1989.

He was arrested in 2020 on charges of spying and selling state secrets to China.

Ma admitted that in 2001, over a decade after he resigned from the CIA, he and a relative met with Chinese intelligence officers in a Hong Kong hotel room to provide them with “a large volume of classified U.S. national defense information.”

In exchange, they were handed $50,000 in cash.

He subsequently served as a linguist for the FBI in Honolulu. The FBI was aware of Ma’s ties to Chinese intelligence officers and hired him as part of an investigation, monitoring his activities and contacts.

“This sentence demonstrates the dedication of the United States to protect itself from this type of betrayal and violation of trust,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill. “Let it be a message to anyone else thinking of doing the same. No matter how long it takes, or how much time passes, you will be brought to justice.”

The government said Ma’s role involved facilitating classified CIA information — obtained from 1967 to 1983 — between his relative and Chinese intelligence officers.

“Despite his sworn oath to protect U.S. classified secrets from illegal disclosure, Alexander Ma chose to betray his oath for money while aiding the People’s Republic of China,” said U.S. Attorney Clare E. Connors.

“Bringing Alexander Ma to justice, even after the passage of many years, affirms our commitment to holding accountable those who violate our nation’s trust and security.”

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