The Lonetree Case<

Clayton J. Lonetree is the first US Marine to be convicted of spying against the United States. Lonetree who was stationed in Moscow as a guard at the US Embassy in the early 1980's confessed in 1987 to selling documents to the Soviet Union. These documents included the blueprints of the US Embassy buildings in Moscow and Vienna and the names and identities of US undercover intelligence agents in the Soviet Union.

Lonetree jeopardized not only the lives of American agents but also the lives of all the Americans working for or visiting the US Embassies in Moscow and Vienna.

Lonetree was convicted in 1987, the same year that Jonathan Pollard was sentenced. He received a 25 year sentence which was subsequently reduced to 20 years.

Lonetree was released in 1996 after serving only 9 years.

Unlike Lonetree who spied for an ememy of the US, Jonathan Pollard spied for an ally, Israel. Also unlike Lonetree, Pollard did not compromise American agents, installations, property or war plans. Lonetree is a free man today. Jonathan Pollard remains in prison in the 16th year of a Life Sentence with no end in sight.

Articles

• May 13, 1991: Lonetree, US Marine Convicted of Spying Appeals: NY Times
• July 14, 1994: Lonetree, Marine Corps Spy, Sentence Reduced: Washington Post
• Feb. 26, 1996: Traitor Marine, Lonetree, Goes Free - USA Today

• Unequal Justice
• Comparative Sentencing Charts