The wife of CIA turncoat Aldrich Ames was sentenced to 51/4 years in prison Friday after begging a federal judge for mercy for herself and her 5-year-old son.
The sentencing came after Rosario Ames read a statement admitting that she "provided advice and support" for her husband's spying for the Soviet Union and then Russia. But she sought leniency so she could take care of their son, Paul, now living with relatives in Bogota, Colombia."I beg you, your honor, Paul needs me, Paul is innocent, he did nothing wrong," she told U.S. District Judge Claude Hilton in a quavering voice. "I beg you to be merciful. Please understand that you are not only sentencing me but Paul, too."
With credit for eight months she has served since her arrest Feb. 21 and time off for good behavior in prison, she could be released in three years and eight months, prosecutors and defense attorneys said later.
Ames - imprisoned for life without parole - has admitted he was paid more than $2.5 million, compromised dozens of CIA operations and exposed numerous foreigners who were spying for the CIA. The government says at least 10 were executed.
Hilton sentenced the 41-year-old Colombia-born woman to the lowest term available under a plea bargain she struck with prosecutors when she pleaded guilty last April 28 to conspiring to commit espionage and evade taxes.
The plea bargain called for a sentence of between 63 and 72 months, but Hilton was not required to accept it and could have sentenced her to 15 years.
Ames separately had urged the judge to give his wife less than 63 months, saying he committed the espionage and she helped only to protect her family.
Questioning of Ames continues at the U.S. Penitentiary at Allenwood, Pa.
Earlier, her attorney, John Hume, said the plea bargain Mrs. Ames signed last spring under advice of her previous counsel was "as Draconian as I've seen in 24 years in the practice of criminal law."
Hume added, "She was a victim of the worst form of spousal abuse."
Mrs. Ames told the judge that after she learned of her husband's spying in 1992, "Rick made me believe that my life was constantly in danger. . . . He would tell me that the KGB had asked for pictures of me and Paul."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hulkower attacked Mrs. Ames for conducting what he described as a public relations campaign "to rewrite history."
"There are a lot of victims in this," Hulkower said, mentioning the 10 foreigners who spied for the United States whom the government believes were executed because of Ames. "But Mrs. Ames is not one of them," he said.