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UNITED STATES
MAY 10, 1999 VOL. 153 NO. 18
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Suspect Behavior
A chronology of how agents tracked a possible spy
Dec. 4, 1978 Wen Ho Lee joins Los Alamos National Laboratory.
1982 The FBI intercepts a telephone call placed by Lee to another nuclear scientist, also born in Taiwan, who has been accused of giving China classified data on the neutron bomb.
1983-95 Lee transfers parts of the legacy codes--the mathematical blueprints used to design and test U.S. nuclear warheads--from the lab's classified computer system to his unsecured office computer.
June 3-7, 1986 Lee delivers an unclassified paper on nuclear weapons-related science at a symposium in Beijing with approval from Los Alamos officials.
1988 Lee delivers another unclassified paper in Beijing with Los Alamos approval.
1995 U.S. intelligence officials obtain a Chinese government document showing that China has stolen the design for the W-88 nuclear warhead, designed for Trident submarine missiles, above.
1996 The FBI launches an investigation of the W-88 theft. Agents focus on Lee and propose a covert search of his computer. But FBI headquarters and Justice officials say that the search requires a warrant.
July 1997 Department of Justice rejects the FBI warrant request, saying agents lack evidence that Lee is involved in espionage.
April 1997 Lee is transferred to a new job at Los Alamos National Lab.
March 5, 1999 The FBI confronts Lee, who had earlier failed a polygraph. He denies any wrongdoing but gives authorities permission to search files on his computer.
March 8 Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson, below, fires Lee from his Los Alamos job for failing to report contact with Chinese scientists and other security breaches.
March 28 Richardson learns agents found legacy code on Lee's computer. He briefs Clinton the next day.
April 2 Richardson orders the computer systems at three nuclear labs shut down for two weeks of investigation.
April 10 Investigation of Lee intensifies. FBI agents search Lee's home, above. Still lacking evidence of espionage, agents focus on making a criminal case against Lee for mishandling of classified data.
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