A former Los Alamos National Laboratory nuclear physicist and his wife have pleaded guilty to federal charges that include communicating classified nuclear weapons data.
Federal prosecutors announced the pleas of Pedro Leonardo Mascheroni and Marjorie Roxby Mascheroni late Friday. The couple had initially pleaded not guilty in 2010 after they were indicted for violating the Atomic Energy Act.
The two were accused of offering to help develop a nuclear weapon for Venezuela through dealings with an undercover FBI agent who was posing as a representative of the Venezuelan government.
Prosecutors say the Mascheronis held security clearances that allowed them access to certain classified data while they were employed by the northern New Mexico lab.
The 77-year-old Pedro Leonardo Mascheroni is facing up to 66 months in prison. His wife could be sentenced to a maximum of two years in prison.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.