AGENT SAYS SPY SUSPECT TOLD OF SECRETS SALE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000302610010-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 22, 2010
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: September 27, 1981
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/22 : CIA-RDP90-00552R000302610010-0
27 SEPTF BER 1981
Agent- Says : Spy Suspect Told of Secrets Sale
ARTICLE APPEARED
ON PAGE__
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Sept. 26 -
Testifying as though reading from a spy
thriller, an agent of the Federal Bureau
of Investigation said yesterday that Jo.
seph G. Helmich Jr. admitted" he had
slipped top-secret codes to agents of the
Soviet Union in France in 1963.
The Federal agent,. James K.- Mur
with selling the Russians ciphers, a cod- I
ing machine and maintenance instruc-
tions while stationed with the United
States Signal Corps in Paris and at Fort
Bragg, N.C., in 1963 and 1964. The Fed
eral Government contends that the se-
crets he is accused of selling for $131,000
could have enabled the Soviet Union to
decipher and read American messages
-"scrambled" for security reasons dur-
Testifying' in Federal. District Court
here, the F.BI.'agent said Mr. Helmich
told about hi3+Aealings with a Russians
agent nametViktor Lyubimov in inter-
,views last February at a hotel in N
ara Falls, N.Y.
Mr. Helmich was then working for a
hardware store there. He moved last
June to Jacksonville Beach, where he
was arrested July 15 on a four-count in-
dictment charging him with espionage.
Mr. Murphy said Mr. Helmich volun-
teered his story in the Niagara Falls In-
terviews. Defense attorneys had asked
that information from the meetings be
suppressed because Mr Helmich was
not advised of his legal rights and did
not have an attorney present until the
-ninth interview.
Mr. Murphy quoted Mr. Helmich as
saying he got into financial trouble in
Paris and was given 24. hours to settle
,his debts and bad checks or. face dis
charge from the Army. Mr. Heinrich
was quoted assaying be.tried to borrow
the money but failed i,t~'
"He decided to contact the Russians
MurpnySaid.
He said Mr. Helmich recalled-loo
king;
up the address of the Russian Embassy.
in Paris in a telephone book and going,
there in civilian clothes to avoid suspi.
cion. The agent. quoted Mr. Helmich as,
telling a woman in the embassy that he
wanted to speak to a military attache. .
Mr. Murphy said- Mr. Helmich re.
called bringing a teletype message that
he had retrieved from-a ' burn bag' at
the Signal Corps center in a- blockhouse
in Paris and offering . it for; $20,000, the
agent said. t.: .
He said Mr: Helmich"told'him two.
Russians at the embassy did not think
the information was worth $20,000 but
agreed to meet him privately later.
The next day Mr. Helmich was given
50,000 francs, or about $1,000 in United
States currency, which he-used to pay
his debts.theagenttestifted.,.,,; . .-, x
, Plana for. Tlpott . :; , i ....
Mr.: Helmich was. ~ ,
quoted as saying
Viktor wanted to know about American
communications and any military plans
for the United States to invade or attack
the Soviet,. Union. ,Mr. Relmich was
quoted as saying the Russians gave him
an address in Switzerland at which he
could tip them oft to any American at-
tack by ordering railroad ties. The num..
i ber of ties. say I,230, would indicate the
time of attack.. + :.
Mr. Murphy said Mr. Helmick told of''
delivering photographs, .. manuals and a
parts list fora coding machine known as
the KL-7. Mr. Helmich said that he re-
ceived initial cash payments of-$2,000-
and $5,000 and that his pay from the
Russians went from $15,000 to $20.000 for
each delivery of classified ?materiais,
the agent said:..N
STAT
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/22 : CIA-RDP90-00552R000302610010-0