By Catherine Wilson. .c The Associated Press
MIAMI, 4 (AP) - An immigration official accused of spying for the Cuban government has been indicted for allegedly handing over U.S. secrets to a Cuban citizen and lying about contacts with government officials from the Communist island.
Mariano Faget, a Cuban-born supervisor in the Miami office of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, has been jailed without bond since his high-profile arrest Feb. 17 and faces arraignment Monday.
The case led to the expulsion from the United States of a top Cuban diplomat, Jose Imperatori.
In a federal indictment, Faget was charged with communicating national defense secrets, converting classified information to his own use and three counts of making false statements.
Defense attorney Ed O'Donnell did not immediately return messages seeking comment Friday.
In a jailhouse interview this week, Faget denied spying for the Cuban government and said he ``would never do anything to hurt the American dream.''
The indictment offers little of substance beyond information released by the FBI when Faget was arrested.
Faget, 54, was regularly consulted about immigration cases involving FBI informants and counterintelligence sources, the indictment said.
He had secret clearance at the INS for 12 years but never informed the agency about becoming executive vice president of America-Cuba Inc., a company formed with New York businessman and Cuban citizen Pedro Font to recruit trade with Cuba if the United States lifts its trade embargo.
Faget should have submitted an outside employment form reflecting his ties to America-Cuba and Font, its president, the indictment indicated.
Faget was introduced to Cuban government officials by Font, met with them at least three times and talked to them by phone without reporting his contacts to the FBI or INS, the indictment said.
He was caught in an FBI sting Feb. 11 when he was shown secret documents, was told ``very sensitive'' information that a Cuban official was about to defect and then called Font 12 minutes later, investigators said.
In a second call, Faget promised to keep Font informed while he was traveling in China, the indictment said.
The false-statement counts charge Faget lied about contacts with Cuban government officials and lied on a 1998 INS form saying he had no foreign business connections.
If convicted, Faget could face up to 35 years in prison and $1.25 million in fines.
AP-NY-03-04-00 0338EST
Copyright 2000 The Associated Press
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