Image: TheAwl.com
After the reprehensible murders of three innocent people on Boston’s Patriots Day by unknown cowards who hate America, it’s hard to muster any sympathy for someone like this:
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska-based military policeman will serve 16 years in prison and will be dishonorably discharged for selling military secrets to a Russian agent, who was an undercover FBI agent, a military panel decided Monday.
A panel of eight military members from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage recommended a 19-year sentence for Spec. William Colton Millay, but that was dropped to 16 years because of a pretrial agreement….
Millay pleaded guilty last month to attempted espionage and other counts. A sentencing panel of male military members began deliberations late Monday afternoon.
Military prosecutors painted Millay as a white supremacist who was fed up with the Army and the United States, and was willing to sell secrets to an enemy agent, even if that would cost his fellow soldiers their lives. Defense attorneys said Millay was emotionally stunted, was only seeking attention and was a candidate for rehabilitation….
FBI Special Agent Derrick Chriswell said Millay came to their attention in the summer of 2011 through an anonymous tip after Millay sent an email to a Russian publication seeking information about the military and made several calls to the Russian embassy.
“That’s a concern for national security,” Chriswell said.
The FBI, working with military intelligence agencies, conducted the investigation. On Sept. 13, 2011, an FBI undercover agent called Millay and set up a meeting the next day at an Anchorage hotel restaurant.
Chriswell testified that during the first meeting with the agent that day, Millay “expressed his disgust with the U.S. military.” They then moved to the agent’s hotel room, where audio and video recording devices were in place.
Millay said he’d work for the Russian government, and if they made it worth his while, he’d re-enlist for a second five-year stint. He also said he had confidential information on the Warlock Duke jamming system the U.S. military uses to sweep roadside bombs….
Two days after that meeting, Millay reported to his commander that he had been contacted by a Russian agent. He was later interrogated by military intelligence officers and the FBI, but prosecutors say Millay was merely trying to throw off suspicion.
Chriswell said Millay, during the interrogation, withheld information that officials already knew from the recordings. That included a claim that he didn’t know why a Russian agent would contact him, his claim to the agent that he had access to Social Security numbers of people on base because of his police job and that he had sent her an earlier text claiming he had more information on the jamming system.
During closing arguments, military prosecutor Capt. Stewart Hyderkhan arguing for at least 25 years in prison, dismissed Millay’s claims of remorse, “especially since jailhouse recordings show he threatens to continue to divulge secrets.”
Like Mama was always telling Forrest, “Stupid is as stupid does.”
H/T Joe Miller
UPDATE: Speaking of dumb…
–Becca Lower
+1
