An American journalist was sentenced to two years in prison for acting as an illegal agent for China: “He betrayed his country for money.”

The United States Department of Justice confirmed that American journalist Thomas Weir Pauken II has been sentenced to two years in federal prison. He was convicted of acting as an illegal agent for a foreign government within the United States. Authorities stated that he betrayed his country in exchange for financial gain.

Separately, former Ecuadorian President Lenín Moreno has formally requested that the Ecuadorian justice system suspend his five-year prison sentence. Moreno was previously convicted of receiving bribes. His petition asks for a conditional suspension of the penalty, which would allow him to fulfill alternative obligations and compliance measures instead of serving time in custody.