EX-ARMY CRYPTOGRAPHER INDICTED ON SPY CHARGES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000302610022-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 22, 2010
• Sequence Number: 22
• Publication Date: July 16, 1981
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/22 : CIA-RDP90-00552R000302610022-7
A &TI3L ~. kFI~L.
o1l PACE -~
WASHINGTON POST
16 July 1981
E.x-Arm-Y CryptoLyraig
In. dtocded on Say Cha_qcres- 1
By Charles R. Babcock
weuhington Poet3twtt writer.,
A former-Army cryptographer
was indicted yesterday on espi-
onage charges for- allegedly sel-
ling the Soviet-Union top-secret
code keys that could have been
used to'- intercept.- secret U.S.
Army orders-during the Vietnam
war. = ....< - -
A federal grand jury in Jack--
sonville, Fla., returned ' the four-
count indictment against Joseph-.
George Helmick,; 44,E after what
was described as an extensive in-
vestigation that . apparently
dated from 1964. Helmich was
arrested by FBI agents yesterday
and was being held in lieu of
$500,000 bond.:-
The indictment alleges that .
Helmich contacted Soviet agents'
in early 1963 while he was ser
ving with the Army in Paris, and
then gave them confidential
maintenance and operations in
structions, top-secret "key ' lists"
and secret technical details
about the rotors of the KL7
cryptographic system.
The charges.-say , he ieceived~
$131,000 in return and agreed to
provide. the. Soviets with :infor
mation about future "anticipated,.
~.Yr
hostilities."_.
U.S. Attorney Gary Betz said
at the bond hearing, ` i he' da"rii
age by, the delivery of this type-
of information 'could 'he '.very-,7.-4
very grave." The -information Hel
inich sold "gave the Soviet Union the
potential l or setting up and inter-.
cepting: our codes at. the time we-..
were engaged in the- Vietnam .con
flict."
In arguing for high bail, Betz
added that Helmich had been given.
the title of colonel in `the Soviet
army and had beet' trained in espi-.
onage.= techniques;.. including,. means=f.
`-: It was not immediately'clear why. .+
it took 18 years to bring charges.
against Helmich. FBI spokesman:
Roger Young would say only that
"there have been recent develop-
ments.which permit prosecution."
There were indications in the in-
dictment, however, that authorities:
were suspicious of Helmich at the
time. As part-of a conspiracy count,"
the indictment said he gave. "false
and misleading information" to JOSEPH GEORGE HELi4tICH
American agents who- questioned inveedgation dated from 1964
him in Jacksonville in ?1964, appar-
STAT
ently after his return from Paris. her husband about 7:15 a.m. yester-'
Helmich left the Army in 1966. day to check on the day's work as
"The indictment charges that he met: signment, but nothing was available.
-Soviet agents again last August so Less than half an'hour later he was
,that "he might claim and obtain cer- arrested by the FBI. Butner said
-tain monies". that he had been prom Hehnich?had said he had been a tiler
= ised. '!It, added. that. he used the setter in New York and sold cars be--,.
=money to conceal his acts and try to fore returning to his home state of
"avoid apprehension '- .' Florida..- '' , a . at
'- ~ Peter Dearing, Helmich's court Betz.said he didn't 'believe Hel-
;appointed attorney, said at the bond' mich had held any government jobs
hearing.that his client's assets con-* -since leaving the Army in 1966. It
sisted of $14 in cash. He had been could not-,be learned whether sus-
'working recently. as a tile setter. for picious federal: authorities forced
"=the Beach Tile Co.,.h, of Neptune him to leave-the'service. One former
` ' Reach, and living with his parents in-. U.S. intelligence. official said it was
Jacksonville. unlikely that the Soviets would have
Edith Butner, wife of the owner of wanted him to`- leave a job with ac-
Beach Tile, said Helmich had, called, : cess to top secretcode information.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/22 : CIA-RDP90-00552R000302610022-7