Winnie Peri

While living with his family in South Africa, Michael Peri carried the U.S. flag for a drill team founded by his mother, a group of uprooted American teen-agers who called themselves the Patriettes. Like many other youths living in the expatriate colony about 100 miles northeast of Johannesburg, Peri became protective of all things American. He was so concerned that the nasal Afrikaner clip would creep into his U.S. accent, a family friend recalled, that the California native acquired a Texas twang.

While living with his family in South Africa, Michael Peri carried the U.S. flag for a drill team made up of uprooted American teen-agers called "The Patriettes." Residing about 100 miles northeast of Johannesburg in the industrial Transvaal province, Peri became protective of all things American. The California native was so concerned that the nasal Afrikaner clip would creep into his speech, a family friend recalled, that he acquired a Texas twang. A decade later, the young man who once struggled to retain his American identity has admitted to betraying his country.

In an emotional plea for forgiveness Friday, Army Spec. Michael A. Peri told jurors that he regrets fleeing to East Germany and giving Communist officials there U.S. military secrets. "I know I made a mistake. . . ," Peri said. "I'm sorry for what I've done. I want forgiveness from the unit and the corps for what I've done." The 22-year-old soldier then burst into tears, according to a report by Stars and Stripes, a military newspaper. His parents, Fred and Winnie Peri of Laguna Niguel, sat behind him, holding hands and crying, during the final day of sentencing arguments at Peri's court-martial on espionage charges in Fulda, West Germany.

While living with his family in South Africa, Michael Peri carried the U.S. flag for a drill team founded by his mother, a group of uprooted American teen-agers who called themselves the Patriettes. Like many other youths living in the expatriate colony about 100 miles northeast of Johannesburg, Peri became protective of all things American. He was so concerned that the nasal Afrikaner clip would creep into his U.S. accent, a family friend recalled, that the California native acquired a Texas twang.

A U.S. serviceman from Orange County who had once been described as a model soldier pleaded guilty today to espionage charges for crossing into East Germany and giving Communist officials U.S. defense secrets. He said he left the West because he was "frustrated" with his military duties. Spec. 4 Michael A. Peri, 21, of Laguna Niguel, changed his earlier plea of innocent as part of an undisclosed pretrial agreement just as his court-martial began. Sentencing Is Friday Peri faces sentencing Friday in the courtroom in Fulda, West Germany.

Orange County soldier Michael A. Peri pleaded guilty Wednesday to espionage charges for giving East German officials U.S. defense secrets and assessments of Soviet troop strengths, saying he was "frustrated" with his military job. Peri, 21, a 1985 graduate of La Quinta High School in Westminster, faces a maximum punishment of life in prison, said Sgt. Maj. Dale McInnis, spokeswoman for the 5th Army Corps in West Germany. Appearing nervous at times during the four-hour hearing at the U.S. Army Community Center in Fulda, West Germany, Peri told a military judge that he crossed into East Germany on Feb. 20 because he felt overworked and unappreciated in his job as an intelligence specialist (Spec.

Army Spec. Michael A. Peri's fantasies of espionage were fueled by a magazine article he read about the Marine spy scandal in Moscow, leading him to give military secrets to the East Germans, prosecutors suggested to a court-marital jury in West Germany on Thursday. Peri seemed fascinated by a Time magazine story he read on Feb. 17, friends told military investigators, and bragged that his security clearance allowed him access to top secret information of the type obtained by the Soviet agents.

While living with his family in South Africa, Michael Peri carried the U.S. flag for a drill team made up of uprooted American teen-agers called "The Patriettes." Residing about 100 miles northeast of Johannesburg in the industrial Transvaal province, Peri became protective of all things American. The California native was so concerned that the nasal Afrikaner clip would creep into his speech, a family friend recalled, that he acquired a Texas twang. A decade later, the young man who once struggled to retain his American identity has admitted to betraying his country.

Orange County soldier Michael A. Peri pleaded guilty Wednesday to espionage charges for giving East German officials U.S. defense secrets and assessments of Soviet troop strengths, saying he was "frustrated" with his military job. Peri, 21, a 1985 graduate of La Quinta High School in Westminster, faces a maximum punishment of life in prison, said Sgt. Maj. Dale McInnis, spokeswoman for the 5th Army Corps in West Germany. Appearing nervous at times during the four-hour hearing at the U.S. Army Community Center in Fulda, West Germany, Peri told a military judge that he crossed into East Germany on Feb. 20 because he felt overworked and unappreciated in his job as an intelligence specialist (Spec.

An Orange County soldier who admitted giving top-secret U.S. military plans to Communist East Germany and then pleaded for forgiveness was sentenced Saturday to 30 years in prison. The sentence, handed down by a panel of five officers, came three days after Army Spec. Michael A. Peri of Laguna Niguel pleaded guilty to espionage in a case that saw highly sensitive U.S. plans for the defense of Europe fall into the hands of the East Germans. According to press accounts from Germany, Peri, 22, stood impassively and glanced briefly at his family as the sentence was announced in a military courtroom in Fulda, West Germany.

An Orange County soldier who admitted giving top-secret U.S. military plans to Communist East Germany and then pleaded for forgiveness was sentenced Saturday to 30 years in prison. The sentence, handed down by a panel of five officers, came three days after Army Spec. Michael A. Peri of Laguna Niguel pleaded guilty to espionage in a case that saw highly sensitive U.S. plans for the defense of Europe fall into the hands of the East Germans. According to press accounts from Germany, Peri, 22, stood impassively and glanced briefly at his family as the sentence was announced in a military courtroom in Fulda, West Germany.

In an emotional plea for forgiveness Friday, Army Spec. Michael A. Peri told jurors that he regrets fleeing to East Germany and giving Communist officials there U.S. military secrets. "I know I made a mistake. . . ," Peri said. "I'm sorry for what I've done. I want forgiveness from the unit and the corps for what I've done." The 22-year-old soldier then burst into tears, according to a report by Stars and Stripes, a military newspaper. His parents, Fred and Winnie Peri of Laguna Niguel, sat behind him, holding hands and crying, during the final day of sentencing arguments at Peri's court-martial on espionage charges in Fulda, West Germany.

Army Spec. Michael A. Peri's fantasies of espionage were fueled by a magazine article he read about the Marine spy scandal in Moscow, leading him to give military secrets to the East Germans, prosecutors suggested to a court-marital jury in West Germany on Thursday. Peri seemed fascinated by a Time magazine story he read on Feb. 17, friends told military investigators, and bragged that his security clearance allowed him access to top secret information of the type obtained by the Soviet agents.

Orange County soldier Michael A. Peri pleaded guilty Wednesday to espionage charges for giving East German officials U.S. defense secrets and assessments of Soviet troop strengths, saying he was "frustrated" with his military job. Peri, 21, a 1985 graduate of La Quinta High School in Westminster, faces a maximum punishment of life in prison, said Sgt. Maj. Dale McInnis, spokeswoman for the 5th Army Corps in West Germany. Appearing nervous at times during the four-hour hearing at the U.S. Army Community Center in Fulda, West Germany, Peri told a military judge that he crossed into East Germany on Feb. 20 because he felt overworked and unappreciated in his job as an intelligence specialist (Spec.

Orange County soldier Michael A. Peri pleaded guilty Wednesday to espionage charges for giving East German officials U.S. defense secrets and assessments of Soviet troop strengths, saying he was "frustrated" with his military job. Peri, 21, a 1985 graduate of La Quinta High School in Westminster, faces a maximum punishment of life in prison, said Sgt. Maj. Dale McInnis, spokeswoman for the 5th Army Corps in West Germany. Appearing nervous at times during the four-hour hearing at the U.S. Army Community Center in Fulda, West Germany, Peri told a military judge that he crossed into East Germany on Feb. 20 because he felt overworked and unappreciated in his job as an intelligence specialist (Spec.

A U.S. serviceman from Orange County who had once been described as a model soldier pleaded guilty today to espionage charges for crossing into East Germany and giving Communist officials U.S. defense secrets. He said he left the West because he was "frustrated" with his military duties. Spec. 4 Michael A. Peri, 21, of Laguna Niguel, changed his earlier plea of innocent as part of an undisclosed pretrial agreement just as his court-martial began. Sentencing Is Friday Peri faces sentencing Friday in the courtroom in Fulda, West Germany.

The mother of an Orange County soldier who was sentenced to 30 years in prison for giving U.S. military secrets to East Germany has asked officials to allow him to "redeem himself," a military newspaper said Monday. The Darmstadt-based military newspaper Stars and Stripes said Winnie Peri of Laguna Niguel, the mother of Pvt. 1 Michael A. Peri, 22, made the plea in a handwritten statement to the newspaper.

A 21-year-old Army intelligence specialist from Orange County is missing from a U.S. military base in West Germany, and Army officials said Thursday they are concerned that he may have defected to East Germany. Spec. 4 Michael Peri, who was trained to analyze electronic warfare signals, such as those of radar, was reported missing Feb. 21 from the 11th Cavalry Headquarters in Fulda, West Germany, according to a Pentagon spokeswoman, Army Maj. Kathy Wood.