Arthur Walker Charged With 7 Spy Counts

NORFOLK, Va. —  Arthur James Walker, the older brother of the alleged mastermind of a Soviet spy ring, was indicted today on seven counts of espionage by a federal grand jury.

Walker was charged with conspiring with his brother, John A. Walker Jr., “to deliver documents to the (Soviet Union) with reason to believe that the documents would be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of the Soviet Union,” the U.S. attorney’s office said in a written statement.

Arthur Walker, 50, is a retired Navy officer and an engineer with a defense contracting company.

The indictment charges that the Walker brothers gave the Soviet Union “documents, writings, plans, blueprints, photographs, sketches and information relating to the national defense of the United States.”

Damage Control Book

Besides the conspiracy count, the indictment contains three counts charging Arthur Walker with taking, possessing and delivering a classified document to the Soviet Union on Sept. 2, 1981. The document was a damage control book for the amphibious command ship Blue Ridge.

Another count charged that he delivered classified casualty report messages for amphibious assault ships to the Soviet Union on April 28, 1982. Two more counts charged him with unauthorized taking of the casualty report messages and unauthorized possession of them.

Conviction on all counts could result in life sentences and fines up to $40,000.

Arthur Walker is scheduled for arraignment Tuesday in U.S. District Court here.

The alleged espionage occurred during his employment with VSE Corp., a Chesapeake, Va., defense contractor which provides engineering, planning and technical services to government and industry.