Evening star., 1949-03-17
.ArraiignnnentSet
HereTomorrow
For MissCop|on
Justice Employe
Charged With Theft
Of Secrets, Spying

Miss Judith Coplon. Justice De-
partment employe, will be ar
raigned in District Court here at
1:30 pm. tomorrow on an indict-
ment returned against her by a
District grand jury charging spy
ing and theft of Government
secrets, officials announced today.
Federal authorities in New York
notified United States Attorney
George Morris Fay they conferred
with her attorney and that the
27-year -old former political anal
yst in the Foreign Agents Regis
tration Section of the Justice
Department would surrender at
1920 am. tomorrow in Washing
ton"
Miss Coplon already is under
indictment in New York with
Valentine A. Gubitchev. 32-year-
old Russian engineer attached to
the United Nations staff. on espio-
mage conspiracy charges.
Sending Warrant.
Mr.. Fay had planned to send to
New York today certified copy
of the indictment handed to Judge
Richmond B. Keech by the grand
jury late yesterday. He also was
sending a warrant for the re-
arrest of Miss Coplon. The report
from New York indicated Miss
Coplon had agreed to waive extra
dition and submit to arrest here,
officials said.
Mr.. Fay said Miss Coplon al
most certainly will be tried here
on the District indictment but
probably not until after she and
Gubitchev 60 on trial April / in
Federal Court in New York.
A Federal grand jury in New
York last Thursday indicted Miss
Coplon and Gubitchev on four
counts charging conspiracy to de-
fraud the United States by steal
ing Government secrets. The two
were arrested together March 4
in New York by FBI agents, who
said they trailed Miss Coplon
there and found that her purse
contained summaries OF Govern
ment information she allegedly
brought to Gubitchev.
Charges Data Removed.
The indictment by the District
grand jury is more specific. It
charges that Miss Coplon copied
Justice Department documents
connected with national defense
and relating to espionage and
counter-espionage in the United
States. It also accuses her OF
concealing and removing extracts
of FBI records. known as data
slips. on suspected spies and
counter spy work.
! The new charges carry a maxi
mum penalty of 13 years impris-
onment and a $4,000 fine on each
count. The earlier indictment
could bring imprisonment up to
35 years and fines totaling $4,000.
Miss Coplon has been free under
$4,000 bond since she pleaded not
guilty when arraigned under the
indictment in New York.
A reason for the indictment OF
Miss Coplon in the District was
more or less obvious in the
wording of the indictment itself
and charge that she committed
the alleged acts while employed
in the department in Washing
ton, an official remarked.
Espionage Revelations Charged.
The previous indictment Of
Miss Coplon, with Gubitchev.
merely Charged that on or about
January l of this year the two
conspired to defraud the Gov
eminent by obstructing Justice
Department and FBI functions
and depriving the Government of
the faithful services of an en-
ploye, that Miss Coplin obtained
information relating to the ma
tional defense and delivered it to
Gubitchev. and that she, aided
and abetted by Gubitchev, unlaw-
fully removed and concealed Of
fetal data.
The new indictment alleges that.
from about December 10 to last
March 4. Miss Coplon. "for the
purpose of obtaining information
respecting the national defense
and with intent and reason to be-
lieve that the information was to
be used to the injury of the United
States and to the advantage of a
foreign nation, did copy. take.
make and obtain documents.
writings and notes containing in
telligence reports relating to
espionage and counter-es
activities in the United States
in the official files and records
of the Justice Department"
The second count was similar in
wording but noted that Miss Cop
Ions Job in the department in
cluded custody of records. It
charged that "she did willfully and
unlawfully conceal and remove
certain of such records. documents
and papers. to wit, certain extracts
and summaries of reports of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation.
known as data slips, containing
intelligence reports relating to
espionage and counter-espionage
activities in the United States
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