Intelligence Speakers Bureau: Edmond Pope

Captain Edmond D. Pope retired, US Navy

Businessman and Entrepreneur

Arrested by Russian FSB in April 2000 and unjustly charged with espionage

Sentenced to 20 years in Siberia

Spent 253 days in a KGB prison

Pardoned by President Putin in December 2000

Former Senior Research Associate and Head of Foreign Science and Technology at Applied Research Laboratory at Penn State University

Retired US Navy Captain

Former Naval Intelligence Officer

Author, Torpedoed: An American Businessman's True Story of Secrets, Betrayal, Imprisonment in Russia, and the Battle to Set Him Free

Torpedoed recently published in Russia

Professor, Centre for Counterintelligence and Security Studies

Edmond Pope completed over 24 years of active service in the US Navy as a Naval Intelligence Officer, retiring in 1994 with the rank of Captain.

One highlight of his naval career was the initiation of the Office of Naval Research Science Opportunities Program which funded carefully selected cooperative science and technology projects in Russia and other republics of the former Soviet Union. After retiring from the Navy, he accepted a position as Senior Research Associate and Head of Foreign Science and Technology at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) of Penn State University. His responsibilities entailed identification and management of cooperative research and development activities with organizations in Russia and other republics of the former Soviet Union.

In 1997, Pope left Penn State and established a private business consulting activity focused on commercialization of technology from Russia, Ukraine and other countries. In this position, he continued to work with ARL Penn State, in addition to several private companies.

On April 3, 2000, Pope was arrested by the FSB (formerly KGB) in Moscow and charged with espionage. In a politically motivated 'show trial,' he was convicted and given a 20-year sentence, then immediately pardoned by President Vladimir Putin. After being held for a total of 253 days, he was released and departed Russia on December 14, 2000, thus becoming only the second American ever convicted of espionage after Francis Gary Powers 40 years earlier.

Pope wrote a 2001 book about this experience and events surrounding his detention, conviction and release called Torpedoed. In addition to speaking engagements regarding the experiences he encountered in Russia and doing business in Russia, he is also pursuing other business ventures.

Pope is a 1969 graduate of Oregon State University with a BA in mathematics.

Travels from central Pennsylvania area

Author of:

Torpedoed: An American Businessman's True Story of Secrets, Betrayal, Imprisonment in Russia, and the Battle to Set Him Free

Links

Edmond Pope's website

Lawyer Pavel A. Astakhov's website

Quotes about Pope Case

CI Centre Professor Oleg Kalugin's testimony on Pope case on Capitol Hill

Pope case on Agentura

Pope links

Dec 01: Interview with Pope

Dec 01: Oregon State University article on Pope

6 Dec 00: CI Centre op-ed on case

19 Dec 00: CSM newspaper op-ed

23 Oct 00: Congressman John Peterson press release: "Peterson disappointed by unfairness of Ed Pope trial in Russia"

26 Sep 00: Congressman John Peterson press release: "House panel scheduled to consider Peterson's bill dealing with Ed Pope"

29 Aug 00: CNN report, "Jailing of US man in Moscow raises serious concerns"

5 Apr 00: CNN report: "Moscow accuses US citizen, Russian of spying"

Sample Topics:

An American Businessman's True Story of Secrets, Betrayal, Imprisonment in Russia and the Battle to Set Him Free

The Reality of Doing Business in Russia

Survival Techniques in Difficult Times

Family Hardships in Hard Times

Dealing with Adversity

Security Lapses Do Happen and Can Be Fatal

Scapegoat in a Political Quagmire