Brian Patrick Regan
Encyclopedia
Brian Patrick Regan is a former master sergeant in the United States Air Force
who was convicted of offering to sell secret information to foreign governments.
From July 1995 to August 2000 Regan worked as a USAF assignee at the National Reconnaissance Office
in Chantilly
, Virginia
, and was a signals intelligence specialist. In October 2000 he was hired by TRW, but brought back to NRO and monitored. In 1999 he had begun downloading data from Intelink
, and in total removed 15,000 pages, CD-ROMs and video tapes from NRO. According to prosecutors he had credit card
debts of $117,000, and wrote a letter to Saddam Hussein
offering to sell intelligence material for $13 million. He also made similar offers to Libya
and China
.
In August 2001, Regan was arrested by the FBI
at Dulles International Airport, preparing to board a flight to Zürich
. He was carrying classified documents and contact information for Iraqi, Libyan, and Chinese embassies in Switzerland
. His trial began in January 2003, and prosecutors sought the death penalty (the first time it would have been used for espionage since Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
were executed by electric chair in 1953). The following month, he was found guilty on two counts of attempted espionage and one of gathering national defense information, but the jury declined to impose the death penalty. Instead, he was sentenced to life imprisonment
without parole in March of that year. He is currently incarcerated at the U.S. Penitentiary in Lee County
, Virginia
.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
who was convicted of offering to sell secret information to foreign governments.
From July 1995 to August 2000 Regan worked as a USAF assignee at the National Reconnaissance Office
National Reconnaissance Office
The National Reconnaissance Office , located in Chantilly, Virginia, is one of the 16 U.S. intelligence agencies. It designs, builds, and operates the spy satellites of the United States government.-Mission:...
in Chantilly
Chantilly, Virginia
Chantilly is an unincorporated community located in western Fairfax County and southeastern Loudoun County of Northern Virginia. Recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census designated place , the community population was 23,039 as of the 2010 census -- down from 41,041 in 2000, due to the...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, and was a signals intelligence specialist. In October 2000 he was hired by TRW, but brought back to NRO and monitored. In 1999 he had begun downloading data from Intelink
Intelink
Intelink is a group of secure intranets used by the United States Intelligence Community. The first Intelink network was established in 1994 to take advantage of Internet capabilities and services to promote intelligence dissemination and business workflow...
, and in total removed 15,000 pages, CD-ROMs and video tapes from NRO. According to prosecutors he had credit card
Credit card
A credit card is a small plastic card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows its holder to buy goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for these goods and services...
debts of $117,000, and wrote a letter to Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
offering to sell intelligence material for $13 million. He also made similar offers to Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
and China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
.
In August 2001, Regan was arrested by the FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
at Dulles International Airport, preparing to board a flight to Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
. He was carrying classified documents and contact information for Iraqi, Libyan, and Chinese embassies in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. His trial began in January 2003, and prosecutors sought the death penalty (the first time it would have been used for espionage since Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
Ethel Greenglass Rosenberg and Julius Rosenberg were American communists who were convicted and executed in 1953 for conspiracy to commit espionage during a time of war. The charges related to their passing information about the atomic bomb to the Soviet Union...
were executed by electric chair in 1953). The following month, he was found guilty on two counts of attempted espionage and one of gathering national defense information, but the jury declined to impose the death penalty. Instead, he was sentenced to life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
without parole in March of that year. He is currently incarcerated at the U.S. Penitentiary in Lee County
United States Penitentiary, Lee
United States Penitentiary, Lee is a prison operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It is located in the Lee County Industrial Park in unincorporated Lee County, Virginia, near Pennington Gap, off U.S. Route 58 at the intersection of State Route 638. The facility is east of Jonesville...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.