Norman J. Rees

Norman John Rees, (ca. 1906 – 1 February 1976) was an Italian-American oil engineer who allegedly worked as a spy for both Soviet Intelligence and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.[1] Rees committed suicide after a newspaper article was published that revealed his spying activities.

Early life and career

Rees was born Nuncio Ruisi in Sicily ca. 1906.[2][3] He worked as an engineer for the M.W. Kellogg Company and then the Socony Mobil Oil Company where he specialized in metallurgy, piping and pressurized tanks for oil.[1] In 1956, he received credit for the co-patent of a gas lift.[4]

Spying

According to Rees, he became an alleged "communist sympathizer" during World War II and began supplying oil industry trade secrets to the USSR in 1942.[5] In 1950, he allegedly gave the Soviets a newly developed design for a catalytic cracking converter for which he earned a Soviet medal.[5] In addition, he said he supplied Soviet agents with designs for a petroleum plant, natural gas processes and pressurized holding tanks.[1] A newspaper report said he earned $30,000 over the years for providing information.[1] After the FBI approached him about his activities, Rees worked as a double agent for the FBI from 1971 to 1975.[1]

Exposure and death

In 1976, during a three-month-long investigation, the Dallas Times Herald newspaper twice flew Rees to Dallas for interviews.[1] After the investigative journalist Kenneth_P._Johnson told Rees that the newspaper planned to print a story that would expose his activity as a double agent, Rees asked Johnson not to run the story or else Rees would commit suicide.[6] [7] Ten hours after the story was published, Rees died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.[8][9] In the aftermath, newspapers debated whether the threat of suicide should supersede the right of the journalist to publish the story.[10]

Accuracy of Reporter

Soviet Intelligence, FBI, MW Kellogg and Socony Mobil Oil Company have not confirmed any spying activity. An FOIA request to the FBI is still pending. Governments have been know to manipulate high profile situations, as in the Aaron Swartz case, who also committed suicide after being accused of a crime.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Special to New York Times (March 2, 1976). "Spy Said He'd Kill Himself if Exposed, Then Did So". New York Times (Dallas, Texas). Retrieved 3 November 2015.
  2. ↑ "Observer-Reporter - Google News Archive Search". News.google.com. Retrieved 2015-10-09.
  3. ↑ "An expose and a spy's death: Was publication justified? (March 7, 1976)". Archives.chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2015-10-09.
  4. ↑ "Gas lift". Google.com. Retrieved 2015-10-09.
  5. 1 2 "Observer-Reporter - Google News Archive Search". News.google.com. Retrieved 2015-10-09.
  6. ↑ "Espionage Against the US by American Citizens" (PDF). Perserec. July 2002. Retrieved 2015-10-01.
  7. ↑ "The Spokesman-Review - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
  8. ↑ "An expose and a spy's death: Was publication justified? (March 7, 1976)". Archives.chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2015-10-09.
  9. ↑ "The Morning Record - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2015-10-12.
  10. ↑ "Teresa Allen - Work :: The Tough Choice". www.calpoly.edu. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
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