Years of espionage cost only 90 days in prison

Years of passing secrets to the military intelligence service of the People's Republic of China will cost Ronald Montaperto only 90 days in prison - the lightest of spankings for crimes that federal guidelines say are worth 20 times the punishment.

"Federal Judge Gerald Bruce Lee said that despite the 'very serious charge' against Ronald Montaperto, he was swayed to reduce the sentence based on letters of support from current and former intelligence and military officials," Bill Gertz reports in the Washington Times.

Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) veteran Montaperto, age 67, admitted guilt in June to "unlawful retention of classified documents," but claimed he illegally had the secrets in a bid to spy on China for the United States.

"I never meant to hurt my country in any way," Montaperto said at his hearing at US District Court in Alexandria, Virginia.

Federal sentencing guidelines allow between four and five years in prison for Montaperto's crimes, though prosecutors sought a sentence of only two years. Judge Lee sentenced the spy to only three months in prison, plus three months of home detention and five years' probation, according to Gertz.