Johnston,
David. "U.S. Arrests Australian in Spy Case." New York Times,
18 May 1999. [http://www.nytimes.com]Materials arranged chronologically.
Johnston,
David. "U.S. Arrests Australian in Spy Case." New York Times,
18 May 1999. [http://www.nytimes.com]
Jean-Philippe Wispelaere, a former Australian military intelligence analyst who worked in Canberra for the Australian Defense Intelligence Organization, was charged on 17 May 1999, "with trying to sell more than 700 highly classified American defense documents to an undercover FBI agent who posed as an overseas spy.... Wispelaere was arrested on [15 May 1999] as he arrived at Dulles International Airport on a flight from London for a meeting with the undercover agent." See also, Roberto Suro, "Australian Arrested on Spy Charge," Washington Post, 18 May 1999, A9; and Bill Gertz, "FBI Sting Snags Australian Spy Attempting to Sell U.S. Secets," Washington Times National Weekly Edition, 24-30 May 1999, 20.
Washington
Post. "Australian Faces More Spy Charges."
16 Jul. 1999, B2. [http://www. washingtonpost.com]
Jean-Philippe Wispelaere was indicted on 15 July 1999 by a federal grand jury in Alexandria "on a charge of espionage and a second count of attempted espionage for allegedly selling U.S. secrets to a foreign country."
Masters,
Brooke A. "Espionage Suspect Found Incompetent: Australian Accused
of Selling U.S. Documents, Photos." Washington Post, 20 Nov.
1999, B2. [http://www. washingtonpost.com]
Jean-Philippe Wispelaere, the former Australian intelligence analyst charged with selling U.S. secrets, "is not mentally competent to stand trial at this point, federal mental health officials have found.... Wispelaere was supposed to go on trial earlier this month ... on espionage and attempted espionage charges, but in September his behavior became increasingly erratic and bizarre, his lawyer said. [He was] sent to a federal corrections facility in Butner, N.C., for observation, and officials there concluded that he was incompetent to assist in his defense.... The doctors at Butner have asked for 120 more days to evaluate and treat Wispelaere."
Masters,
Brooke A. "Australian Pleads Guilty in Spy Case." Washington
Post, 9 Mar. 2001, A4. [http://www.washingtonpost.com]
On 8 March 2001, former Australian Defense Intelligence Organization official Jean-Philippe Wispelaere "pleaded guilty in federal court in Alexandria to a charge of attempted espionage and now faces at least 15 years in prison for trying to sell stolen classified U.S. documents.... The case has dragged on for nearly two years because Wispelaere suffered such a serious bout of schizophrenia that he was declared temporarily unable to stand trial."
Highfield, John. "Australian Spy Sentenced to Jail in the US." Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 9 Mar. 2001. [http://www.abc.net.au]
A U.S. District Court in Virginia on 9 March 2001 'imposed a 15 year sentence" on Jean-Philippe Wispelaere. "Under a plea bargain, his lawyers have promised he'll cooperate fully in debriefings, as they're putting it, with Australian and US intelligence and law enforcement agencies."
Return to Spy Cases/U.S. Table
of Contents
Return to Australia
Table of Contents