Accused Chinese double agent freed on bail
From Stan Wilson
CNN
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Katrina Leung
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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Accused Chinese double agent Katrina Leung was released from federal detention Thursday after posting $2 million in bail.
The 49-year-old former FBI informant was escorted out of jail by U.S. Marshals at 5:20 p.m. (8:20 p.m. EDT), according to an officer at the Metropolitan Detention Center who asked to remain anonymous.
"She'll be subjected to a Global Positioning Satellite monitoring system, a sophisticated ankle bracelet that tracks her movement," said U.S. Attorney spokesman Thom Mrozek.
A federal judge ordered Leung to remain in Los Angeles and surrender her passport pending a trial later this year.
Leung, a prominent Chinese-American businesswoman, was indicted last month on charges of illegally obtaining, copying and retaining classified U.S. national defense documents with the intent of passing those documents to the Chinese government. She was not specifically charged with espionage, but she still could face up to 50 years in prison if convicted.
Leung, who is married and lives in San Marino, California, has pleaded innocent.
James J. Smith -- her longtime FBI handler and the man who recruited her to spy on China and was allegedly her lover for 20 years -- has been charged with wire fraud and gross negligence for improperly removing the secret documents from an FBI office and allowing Leung to obtain them.
Smith, 59, who is also married, pleaded innocent and remains free on $250,000 bond. If convicted, he could face a 40-year prison term.
