Engineer gets 24 years in jail on espionage charges

A Chinese-born engineer convicted of conspiracy to export US defense technology to China has been sentenced to 24 years in federal prison.

Chi Mak, 67, who worked on naval propulsion systems, was also convicted of acting as an unregistered foreign agent, attempting to violate export control laws and making false statements to the FBI.

Federal prosecutors asked for 30 years, while Mak's defense team proposed 10 years.

Mak asked US District Judge Cormac Carney for leniency before sentencing on Monday. Four of Mak's relatives, including his wife, pleaded guilty last year to related offenses in exchange for leniency.

"I don't know so much about the law, but I feel I never intend to violate any law at all. I never intend to hurt my country. I love this country. I don't believe I hurt this country," Mak told the judge. "The truth is not like the one the prosecutor says. I still hope for justice."

The judge said Mak, who has US citizenship, lied on immigration and government security clearance forms and perjured himself on the witness stand.

"I do believe a high-end sentence is appropriate here. Mr Mak ... betrayed the United States ... I really don't know how much damage he's done," Carney said.

His attorney, Ronald Kaye, said he would appeal within 10 days. He accused prosecutors of being overly harsh with his client to make a point to the international intelligence community and to China.

"We believe that history will prove the facts of this case differently," Kaye said outside court. "They essentially have sentenced him as if he's a trophy rather than a human being."