Michael Peri
| Michael A. Peri | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1967 (age 47–48) |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Cold War |
Michael Peri (born 1967) was a Military Intelligence Electronic Warfare Signals Analyst for the United States Army during the Cold War, who was convicted of espionage in 1989 and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Biography
On February 20, 1989, Peri vanished from the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (ACR) in Fulda, Germany. An exhaustive search was conducted to locate him when it was discovered that he had stolen a portable computer that was used to store classified military defense plans. Peri was not found, although it was suspected that he had defected to East Germany when a HMMWV that he had stolen was located near the East German border.[1] 11 days later, for reasons that have never been fully explained, Peri turned himself in at the front gate of the 11th ACR.[2] He was court-martialed for espionage, where he was convicted on June 25, 1989, and sentenced to 30 years.[3][4] Even after the conclusion of the court-martial, investigators were perplexed at what has caused this turn of events. Peri had twice been nominated for a "Soldier of the Month" award in his unit. The best possibility to explain the attempted espionage is that Peri felt overworked and taken for granted by his superiors, which caused him to make a rash decision. Overcome by a guilty conscience, he voluntarily returned to West Germany to face the charges against him. Unofficially, soldiers serving with him at the time cite that Peri had fallen under the influence of a female East German spy, who promoted Peri's disgruntlement. Being young and inexperienced, Peri was found to be an easy target to influence.
See also
- James Hall III – an Army warrant officer and intelligence analyst in Germany who sold eavesdropping and code secrets to East Germany and the Soviet Union from 1983 to 1988.
- George Trofimoff – a then retired Army Reserve colonel, who was charged in June 2000 with spying for the KGB and the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (or SVR) for over 25 years.
- John Anthony Walker – an American communications specialist who was convicted of spying
- Aldrich Ames - an ex-CIA agent convicted of spying for Russia
- Noshir Gowadia - an ex-employee of Northrop who sold classified B2 stealth technology to China
- William Kampiles - a CIA employee who was convicted of selling a classified KH-11 spy satellite manual to the Soviet Union
References
- ↑ "Laguna Niguel GI Missing; Army Fears He's Defected : His Mother Expresses Concern". latimes.com. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
- ↑ "A G.I. in Germany is Accused of Spying". nytimes.com. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
- ↑ "Soldier Who Left Post in West Germany Is Charged". latimes.com. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
- ↑ "A U.S. Soldier Who Defected Is Given 30 Years for Spying". nytimes.com. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
Further reading
- Missing Southland Soldier Returns to His Base in Germany (HTML). latimes.com. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
- From Soldier to Spy: A Baffling About-Face (HTML). latimes.com. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
- O.C. Soldier Led Unusual Life : Peri as Spy: Unbelievable to Those Who Knew Him (HTML). latimes.com. Retrieved 1 March 2012.