A former FBI agent who failed to tell his superiors about an affair with an informant later arrested as a double agent for China was sentenced on Monday to three months' home confinement.
The sentencing of James. J. Smith was a low-key conclusion to a case that started as a high-profile prosecution of a supposed spy and ended with the dismissal of all charges against the main defendant.
Smith pleaded guilty in May to lying to the FBI about his adulterous 18-year affair with FBI informant Katrina Leung. Leung, who was known as "Parlor Maid," was arrested in 2003. Prosecutors portrayed her as a double agent for China, but she was ultimately charged only with taking classified documents from Smith.
The charges against Leung were thrown out in January by a federal judge who cited "willful and deliberate misconduct" by prosecutors. Prosecutors barred Smith from talking to defence lawyers, depriving Leung of a critical defence witness.
The news of Leung's arrest and lengthy affair caused a sensation in Los Angeles, where she was a prominent businesswoman, society hostess and political activist.
Smith, who worked for the FBI for almost 20 years, was also ordered to perform 100 hours of community service.