Adm. McVadon, Lonnie Henley defended Montaperto to the end

An alarming number of intelligence figures have defended Ronald Montaperto, even after his conviction. The federal judge who sentenced the Chinese spy to a mere three months in prison - citing the influence of letters from senior intelligence officials and others.

Among them: Lonnie Henley, the current Deputy National Intelligence Officer for East Asia who works for Director of National Intelligence (DNI) John Negroponte.

Another: RADM Eric McVadon, USN (Ret.), pictured, currently a China consultant to the CIA and Defense Department. Known as "Eric the Red," McVadon said in the Washington Times that he would not second-guess the federal case against Montaperto, but could only "recoil at characterizations of him in the press as a spy."