Prosecutors and defense attorneys will be asking for vastly different prison terms as a former CIA officer is formally sentenced for spying for China.
A jury convicted Kevin Mallory of Leesburg last year under the Espionage Act for providing top secret information to Chinese handlers in exchange for $25,000.
He was arrested in 2017 after he was discovered with more than $16,000 in undeclared cash on a return flight from Shanghai.
Still, prosecutors and defense attorneys differ markedly in the severity of Mallory's misconduct.
Defense attorneys argue that Mallory provided information that was practically worthless at a time when he was financially desperate. They seek a term no longer than 10 years at Thursday's sentencing hearing.
Prosecutors say Mallory intentionally put human assets at risk. They've asked for a life sentence.
