Cuba Sentences American Contractor to 15 Years In Prison

An American contractor was sentenced to 15 years in a Cuban prison Saturday after being convicted of crimes against the state. Alan Gross is accused of distributing illegal communications equipment in an effort to overthrow the Cuban government. After the sentence was handed down, United States authorities called for Gross’s immediate release.

"We deplore this ruling. Alan Gross is a dedicated international development worker who has devoted his life to helping people in more than 50 countries. He was in Cuba to help the Cuban people connect with the rest of the world,” said State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley.

Gross, 61, was arrested in December 2009 and put in the Villa Marista prison where he has remained for the past 15 months. He was in Cuba working for Development Alternatives Incorporated, a subcontractor which had received a $6 million contract from the U.S. government to promote democracy in the communist country. He was helping Cuba’s Jewish community connect to the internet.

Gross’s attorney Peter J. Kahn vowed to "continue to work with Alan's Cuban attorney in exploring any and all options available to him, including the possibility of an appeal."

"The Gross family is devastated by the verdict and harsh sentence announced today by the Cuban authorities. Having already served a 15-month sentence in a Cuban prison, Alan and his family have paid an enormous personal price in the long-standing political feud between Cuba and the United States,” Kahn said.

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