In Spy Case, Fifth Relative Pleads Guilty

The fifth member of a family charged with gathering defense secrets for China has pleaded guilty.

As her trial began Tuesday in Santa Ana, Calif., Rebecca Chiu, 63, confessed to failing to register as an agent for the Chinese government. The parties agreed to seek a three-year prison sentence.

Last month, a jury convicted Chiu's husband, Chi Mak, of conspiracy to violate export controls, failing to register as a Chinese agent, and lying to the FBI. Mak's brother and sister in law, Tai Mak and Fuk Li, and their son, Billy Mak, also agreed recently to plead guilty to charges stemming from the probe.

Authorities broke up the ring in 2005 after Tai Mak and Li attempted to fly to China a disk containing encrypted files from the California defense contractor where Chi Mak worked as an engineer.