Accused Los Alamos Physicist Now Under House Arrest

Mascheroni charged with trying to get Venezuela nukes
By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 20, 2010 3:21 PM CDT
Accused Los Alamos Physicist Now Under House Arrest
This Oct. 22, 2009 photo shows former Los Alamos National Laboratory nuclear physicist P. Leonardo Mascheroni on his back deck in Los Alamos, N.M.   (AP P)hoto/Heather Clark)

The Los Alamos physicist and his wife accused of trying to peddle nuclear secrets to Venezuela were released to house arrest today, the AP reports. While under the impression that he was in touch with agents of Hugo Chavez's government, Pedro Leonardo Mascheroni is charged with offering to help Venezuela build a nuclear weapon, court documents state. His lawyer argued that Mascheroni has represented no threat to national security.
(More Venezuela stories.)

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