Victor Manuel Rocha, former American diplomatwho pleaded guilty to espionage work for the Cuban regime, could face up to 15 years in prison for the two federal charges that are ultimately brought against him.
Before a federal judge in Miami, Rocha admittedhaving spent 40 years at the service of the General Directorate of Intelligence (DGI) of the Cuban regime and agreed to be charged with conspiracy to be an illegal agent and acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government, charges that could result in a sentence of up to 15 years behind bars, according toAmerica TeVe.
During the hearing, the prosecution and Rocha's lawyers agreed on a sentence that has not yet been publicly detailed. Although the two federal crimes typically carry maximum sentences of five to ten years in prison respectively, the final decision is left to the district judge,Beth Bloom.
Rocha, 73, also faced 13 other charges, including wire fraud and making false statements, which were dropped as part of the plea deal. Your lawyer,Jacqueline Arango, praised the recommended sentence as "fair and reasonable," although he did not provide specific details.
The hearing concluded with Judge Bloom's order to prepare an investigative report to assist in the imposition of the sentence, scheduled for next April.
Meanwhile, the news thatOfelia Acevedo Mauda -widow ofOswaldo Payá Sardiñas, leader of the Christian Liberation Movement-filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Rocha, has opened the possibility of additional legal action.
Acevedo Mauda accuses Rocha ofsharing information with the Cuban regime that allegedly led to the murder of her husband, which could pave the way for similar legal actions in other cases, such as the downing of the Brothers to the Rescue pilots.
It should be noted that after his arrest, Rocha transferred four luxurious apartments in Miami's Brickell City Center, worth more than four million dollars, to his wife. This asset movement could have implications in future legal processes related to its activities and financial assets.
This case of espionage for the Cuban regime also highlights parallels withthe case of Ana Belén Montes, a US intelligence analyst convicted of spying for the Cuban government in 2002.
Montes pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit espionage and was sentenced to 25 years in prison, underscoring the seriousness with which these crimes are taken by US authorities and the importance of national security.
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