Scarbeck, Irvin Chambers (32231924): Difference between revisions

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Irvin Chambers Scarbeck (~~born~~ May 8, 1920) was a US State Department official ~~who was convicted of giving information to Polish UB (secret police) during the Cold War after he became involved~~ in ~~a romantic affair with a Polish woman and~~ was blackmailed by Polish intelligence ~~agents. His case was~~ the first ~~prosecution~~ under ~~Title 50 783(b)~~ of the Subversive Activities Control Act~~. His case also prompted a modification of the Espionage Act of 1917 to allow it to be used outside U.S. territory~~.

'''Irvin Chambers Scarbeck''' (8 May 1920 – 1970) was a United States Army sergeant who trained at [[Camp Ritchie]] in [[:Category:Class 26|Class 26]] and [[:Category:Class 27|Class 27]], and who, as a State Department official in Warsaw, was blackmailed by Polish intelligence and in 1961 became the first person prosecuted under the espionage provision of the Subversive Activities Control Act.

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== Biography ==

Irvin Chambers Scarbeck (born May 8, ~~1920~~) ~~was a US~~ State Department ~~official who~~ was ~~convicted of giving information~~ to ~~Polish UB (secret police) during~~ the ~~Cold War after~~ he ~~became involved in a romantic~~ affair with a Polish woman and ~~was blackmailed by Polish intelligence agents~~. His case was the first prosecution under Title 50 783(b) of the Subversive Activities Control Act. His case ~~also prompted a modification of~~ the Espionage Act of 1917 ~~to allow~~ it to ~~be used~~ outside U.S. ~~Territory~~.

Irvin Chambers Scarbeck was born on 8 May 1920. He studied at the City College of New York and New York University, completing two years of college, and worked as an electrician before the war.

Scarbeck enlisted at Camp Upton, Yaphank, New York, and served in the Army from 1942 to 1946, rising to staff sergeant. At Camp Ritchie he trained as a sergeant with [[:Category:Class 26|Class 26]] (section 5B) and [[:Category:Class 27|Class 27]] (section 5C), and he served overseas.

In 1956 Scarbeck joined the State Department, where he received an award for meritorious service, and in 1958 he was posted to the U.S. embassy in Warsaw as an office manager, joined there by his wife and children. In 1959 he began an affair with a young Polish woman; in 1960 agents of the Polish Security Service (UB) photographed the couple and used the photographs to blackmail him into passing secret U.S. government information. He said he cooperated to protect her from arrest, and he helped her leave for West Germany. The FBI arrested him on 13 June 1961, and in July 1961 a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia indicted him. His case was the first prosecution under Title 50, section 783(b), of the Subversive Activities Control Act; he was convicted on those counts, acquitted on a charge of taking a government document, and in November 1961 sentenced to three consecutive ten-year terms, the maximum allowed. The Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal in June 1963, but his sentences were made concurrent and he was paroled in 1966. His case led Congressman Richard Poff to push for amending the Espionage Act of 1917 so that it would apply to acts committed outside U.S. territory.

== Research notes ==

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== Timeline ==

* 8 May 1920 — Born.

* 1942–1946 — U.S. Army; trained at Camp Ritchie (Classes 26 and 27); staff sergeant.

* 1956 — Joined the State Department.

* 1958 — Posted to the U.S. embassy in Warsaw.

* 13 June 1961 — Arrested by the FBI.

* November 1961 — Sentenced to thirty years (later made concurrent).

* 1966 — Paroled.

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== Sources ==

@@ Line 25: / Line 25: @@
 <div class="soldier-lead">
-Irvin Chambers Scarbeck (born May 8, 1920) was a US State Department official who was convicted of giving information to Polish UB (secret police) during the Cold War after he became involved in a romantic affair with a Polish woman and was blackmailed by Polish intelligence agents. His case was the first prosecution under Title 50 783(b) of the Subversive Activities Control Act. His case also prompted a modification of the Espionage Act of 1917 to allow it to be used outside U.S. territory.
+'''Irvin Chambers Scarbeck''' (8 May 1920 &ndash; 1970) was a United States Army sergeant who trained at [[Camp Ritchie]] in [[:Category:Class 26|Class 26]] and [[:Category:Class 27|Class 27]], and who, as a State Department official in Warsaw, was blackmailed by Polish intelligence and in 1961 became the first person prosecuted under the espionage provision of the Subversive Activities Control Act.
 </div>
 == Biography ==
-Irvin Chambers Scarbeck (born May 8, 1920) was a US State Department official who was convicted of giving information to Polish UB (secret police) during the Cold War after he became involved in a romantic affair with a Polish woman and was blackmailed by Polish intelligence agents. His case was the first prosecution under Title 50 783(b) of the Subversive Activities Control Act. His case also prompted a modification of the Espionage Act of 1917 to allow it to be used outside U.S. Territory.
+Irvin Chambers Scarbeck was born on 8 May 1920. He studied at the City College of New York and New York University, completing two years of college, and worked as an electrician before the war.
+Scarbeck enlisted at Camp Upton, Yaphank, New York, and served in the Army from 1942 to 1946, rising to staff sergeant. At Camp Ritchie he trained as a sergeant with [[:Category:Class 26|Class 26]] (section 5B) and [[:Category:Class 27|Class 27]] (section 5C), and he served overseas.
+In 1956 Scarbeck joined the State Department, where he received an award for meritorious service, and in 1958 he was posted to the U.S. embassy in Warsaw as an office manager, joined there by his wife and children. In 1959 he began an affair with a young Polish woman; in 1960 agents of the Polish Security Service (UB) photographed the couple and used the photographs to blackmail him into passing secret U.S. government information. He said he cooperated to protect her from arrest, and he helped her leave for West Germany. The FBI arrested him on 13 June 1961, and in July 1961 a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia indicted him. His case was the first prosecution under Title 50, section 783(b), of the Subversive Activities Control Act; he was convicted on those counts, acquitted on a charge of taking a government document, and in November 1961 sentenced to three consecutive ten-year terms, the maximum allowed. The Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal in June 1963, but his sentences were made concurrent and he was paroled in 1966. His case led Congressman Richard Poff to push for amending the Espionage Act of 1917 so that it would apply to acts committed outside U.S. territory.
 == Research notes ==
@@ Line 103: / Line 107: @@
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 |}
+== Timeline ==
+<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed soldier-timeline">
+<div class="soldier-timeline-body">
+* 8 May 1920 — Born.
+* 1942–1946 — U.S. Army; trained at Camp Ritchie (Classes 26 and 27); staff sergeant.
+* 1956 — Joined the State Department.
+* 1958 — Posted to the U.S. embassy in Warsaw.
+* 13 June 1961 — Arrested by the FBI.
+* November 1961 — Sentenced to thirty years (later made concurrent).
+* 1966 — Paroled.
+</div>
+</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>
 == Sources ==