Elizabeth Jo Shirley, a 47-year-old West Virginia resident has been sentenced to over 11 years in federal prison after she kidnapped her daughter, fled to Mexico, and attempted to sell classified NSA information stolen from her place of work to Russia. Shirley pleaded guilty to all charges, including unlawfully retaining classified documents and international parental kidnapping. According to the Assistant Attorney General, John Demers, the sentence will hold Shirley accountable for violating American trust and serves as a warning to others.
Shirley was a former defense contractor who allegedly took her daughter during visitation hours. Her husband then began to track down Shirley and their daughter, eventually tracking them to Mexico City after weeks of radio silence. Shirley’s plea deal contained a concession in which she claims she intended to make contact with representatives of the Government of Russia and request resettlement in a country where she would be safe from US persecution.
Read More: W.V. Woman Gets 11 Years for Trying to Hawk NSA Docs to Russia, Kidnapping Daughter
