Stewart Nozette | |
---|---|
Born | Stewart David Nozette May 20, 1957 |
Nationality | American |
Alma mater | University of Arizona Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Known for | Attempting to transfer American nuclear and space technology to Israel |
Awards | NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Geoscience Planetary Science |
Institutions | Scripps Institution of Oceanography University of Texas Ballistic Missile Defense Organization United States Department of Energy Lawrence Livermore Laboratory (1990–1999) United States Department of Defense National Space Council (1989–1990) NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Alliance for Competitive Technology (1990–present) DARPA |
Thesis | The Physical and Chemical Properties of the Surface of Venus (1983) |
Doctoral advisor | John S. Lewis Gordon Pettengill |
Stewart David Nozette (born May 20, 1957) is an American planetary scientist, technologist, and consultant who worked for the United States Department of Energy, the United States Department of Defense, DARPA, the United States Naval Research Laboratory, and NASA.[1] He is also a convicted felon for attempted espionage and fraud against the United States. The FBI arrested him on October 19, 2009,[2] charging him with attempted espionage after a sting operation[3] which Nozette's lawyer claims amounted to entrapment.[4] At trial, Nozette admitted attempting to sell U.S. classified information to someone he believed was an Israeli Mossad operative, but was in reality an undercover Federal Bureau of Investigation employee. He pleaded guilty to one charge of attempted espionage and was sentenced, under the terms of a plea bargain, to thirteen years in prison. After serving time[5] at the Federal Correctional Institution, Terre Haute, Nozette was released on November 13, 2020.