Lipka: No Statute of LimitationsFormer National Security Agency employee Robert Stephan Lipka was arrested and charged with espionage in 1996. This was 30 years after Lipka stopped working for NSA and 22 years after his last contact with the KGB. The arrest was possible because the statute of limitations does not apply to espionage. No matter how long ago an offense occurred, a traitor can still be prosecuted. Lipka was sentenced in 1997 to 18 years in prison. While in the U.S. Army, Lipka was assigned to the National Security Agency (NSA) at Ft. Meade, MD from 1965 to 1967. His principal assignment was to remove classified NSA documents from teleprinters and distribute them to the appropriate departments. He photographed these documents with a camera provided by the Soviets and dropped off the film in a park for payments of up to $1,000 per drop. He allegedly received a total of $27,000 from the KGB. Lipka left the military and moved to Lancaster, PA, in August 1967, where he attended college at a local university. The FBI affidavit states that Lipka took NSA documents with him when he left his Army position, and that he met with Soviet representatives as late as 1974. Lipka's betrayal came to the attention of U.S. investigators in 1993 after Lipka's ex-wife went to authorities and told them he had sold NSA material to the Soviets. Related Topic: How Spies Are Caught. Reference |
Robert Lipka was arrested 22 years
after he stopped spying for the Soviets. Anyone who crosses
the line must look over their shoulder for the rest of their life, as the
statute of limitations does not apply to espionage.|
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