Prosecutors urge severe sentence in CIA leak case; guidelines call for 20 years
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A former CIA officer convicted of leaking classified details of an operation to derail Iran's nuclear ambitions would spend 20 years in prison if a judge follows federal sentencing guidelines.
Jeffrey Sterling of O'Fallon, Missouri, will be sentenced next month in Alexandria after his conviction in January. A jury found him guilty of illegally disclosing to journalist James Risen a secret mission to stall Iran's nuclear-weapons program by feeding them deliberately flawed blueprints.
Prosecutors on Monday filed papers urging a severe sentence. They said probation officers correctly calculated a sentencing guidelines range of 20 to 24 years.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}But the judge is free to reject the guideline recommendation. Sterling has drawn support from Nobel Peace Prize laureate Desmond Tutu and others who argue Sterling has been treated unfairly.