NSA analyst jailed for life for selling US secrets to Soviets dies aged 80

A former National Security Agency analyst who was arguably its most damaging traitor and became famous for aiding the Soviets during the cold war died last week, according to an obituary posted on the website of a Maryland funeral home.

Ronald William Pelton was 80.

Pelton was an NSA intelligence communications specialist who, in November 1985, was arrested for selling government secrets to the Soviet Union. He spent about three decades in prison before he completed serving his sentence in 2015.

A Soviet KGB agent who had defected reported Pelton to investigators, setting the stage for his prosecution.

Despite asking for leniency, Pelton was given three life sentences, plus another 10 years to be served at the same time.

He was freed from his sentence after stints at a halfway house and then under home confinement.