A former CIA agent serving a 23-year prison term in the United States for spying for Russia has confessed that he has been maintaining contacts with Moscow, BBC Russia said on Tuesday.
Harold Nicolson had been working for the CIA for 16 years until he was arrested in 1997 for selling a database of CIA workers to the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).
The jailed spy told BBC that while behind bars he had made attempts to connect with Russian officials through other prisoners in order to get what he called "retirement payments".
In 2006, Nicolson decided to use his son, Nathaniel, as an intermediary in talks with Russia. Nathaniel subsequently met with Russian spies six times, and received about $47,000 from them.
He was arrested before his seventh meeting, which was due to take place in the Slovak capital of Bratislava. Reports suggest he may receive an 8-year jail term.
MOSCOW, November 9 (RIA Novosti)
