The other Nova Scotia spy

by Brian DuBreuil Posted: Oct 10, 2012 1:48 PM ET Last Updated: Oct 10, 2012 1:48 PM ET

It's a rather small and infamous group, but navy Sub-Lt. JeffreyPaul Delisle isn't the first Canadian to be caught spying for theRussians. He's not even the first one with connections to our province.

Delisle's decision to plead guilty to three espionage chargesbrought back memories of a spy story I covered almost 25 years ago.

It was June 1988. At the time, I was a reporter working for theCBC's The National in St. John's. My phone rang and when I answered, Ireceived one of those anonymous tips you usually only see in themovies. The caller said I should get down to the courthouse. A Canadianhad been arrested and charged with being a Soviet spy.

I thought it was a prank call. I mean really - a Russian spy inNewfoundland? Well, it wasn't a joke and what followed was a spy tale Iwon't soon forget.

Stephen Joseph Ratkai, 25, a Canadian who grew up inNova Scotia and Hungary, had been caught in an elaborate double-agentscheme run by the U.S. military.

It started when a U.S. navy lieutenant named Donna Geiger walkedon board a Soviet research vessel in St. John's harbour (those"research" vessels had long been suspected of doing more spying thanscientific work) and announced she was ready to pass secrets to theSoviets.

Geiger, who was working at the top secret U-S Naval base inArgentia, Newfoundland, told the captain she was a disgruntled employeetired of being passed over in a "male-dominated" navy. Geiger evenbrought classified documents to prove she was serious. Two months latershe was told to meet a contact in the parking lot of the HotelNewfoundland in St. John's. She met her contact several times,exhanging information for cash.

Geiger was a double-agent and eventually Stephen Joseph Ratkai wasarrested and charged with espionage. In February 1989, Ratkai pleadedguilty and was sentenced to nine years in prison.

It's a story that could play a key role in determining how muchtime Jeffrey Delisle will spend in jail for his crimes. Lawyers andjudges always look to past cases - precedents - in determining anappropriate sentence and Ratkai is one of the few Canadians to beconvicted of spying.

There are, of course, substantial differences in the two cases.

Stephen Ratkai was a civilian: by all accounts a troubled youngman looking for some excitement in his life. Sub-Lt. Delisle was a career navy man, someone with top level security clearance, a man ourgovernment trusted with some of its most sensitive secrets. A trust hewillingly violated the day he walked into the Russian embassy lookingfor his 40 pieces of silver.

Stephen Ratkai was sentenced to nine years in jail for hisfoolhardy actions. It's quite likely Jeffrey Paul Delisle will befacing a much longer prison term for his.

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