Ex-Navy man pleads not guilty

Press, 10 August 1985, Page 11

Ex-Navy man pleads not guilty

NZPA-Reuter San Francisco A former United States Navy communications specialist, Jerry Whitworth, pleaded not guilty yesterday to charges of participating in a naval family spy ring and hiding from "tax collectors the money he is accused of being paid for spying. Whitworth, aged 45, was arrested on June 3 and charged only with conspiracy in the case. He is

accused of receiving more than SUS3OO,OOO (5570,000) from his alleged spying. Two days earlier, a grand jury indicted him on additional charges, accusing him of copying and delivering United States defence secrets to the Soviet Union and to John Walker, a close friend and alleged mastermind of the espionage ring. Walker and his son, Michael, also face trial.

Walker’s brother, Lieuten-ant-Commander Arthur Walker, is now on trial in Norfolk, Virginia. At that trial yesterday, the defence rested without presenting evidence after losing a bid for a directed verdict of aquittal. Walker is charged with delivering information related to the nuclearpowered aircraft-carrier U.S.S. Enterprise and a Navy communications sys-

tern to his brother, John. The key evidence against him concerned confessions he made to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and voluntary evidence he gave before a grand jury. The defence says that there is no proof he passed materials. At a hearing in San Francisco yesterday Whitworth uttered only two words, “not guilty,” to 12 counts of the indictment.