Myra Soble (March 18, 1904 – 1992)
together with her husband
Jack Soble
Jack Soble (May 15, 1903 – 1967) was a Lithuanian who, together with his brother Robert Soblen, penetrated Leon Trotsky's entourage for Soviet intelligence in the 1920s. Later, in the United States, he was jailed, with his wife Myra, on e ...
was tried and jailed for her involvement in the
Soble spy ring
As early as the 1920s, the Soviet Union, through its GRU, OGPU, NKVD, and KGB intelligence agencies, used Russian and foreign-born nationals ( resident spies), as well as Communists of American origin, to perform espionage activities in the Unite ...
.
Biography
Soble (née Perske) was born on March 18, 1904, in
Nikolaev, Ukraine, Russia. She was the wife of
Jack Soble
Jack Soble (May 15, 1903 – 1967) was a Lithuanian who, together with his brother Robert Soblen, penetrated Leon Trotsky's entourage for Soviet intelligence in the 1920s. Later, in the United States, he was jailed, with his wife Myra, on e ...
. Myra and Jack were married on November 24, 1927, in Moscow. In early 1928, Myra went to Germany to join Jack, who had gone there shortly after their marriage. Myra returned to Russia after her mother became ill in 1931. In 1933, she and Jack were reunited when he went back to Russia to be with her. Jack and Myra and most of Jack's family left Russia on January 10, 1941, from Vilkaviskis, Lithuania. They traveled to Japan after they were given Japanese visas. Myra and other members of the group entered the United States at San Francisco on September 27, 1941. Jack Soble arrived in San Francisco on October 20, 1941.
On August 9, 1957, Myra received a 5½ year prison sentence for her role in the
Soble spy ring
As early as the 1920s, the Soviet Union, through its GRU, OGPU, NKVD, and KGB intelligence agencies, used Russian and foreign-born nationals ( resident spies), as well as Communists of American origin, to perform espionage activities in the Unite ...
, and her husband seven years. On October 8, 1957, Federal Judge Richard H. Levet, United States District Court, Southern District of New York, reduced her prison sentence from 5½ years to four years. She was transferred to the
Alderson Prison for Women, Alderson, West Virginia on November 12, 1957.
On July 5, 1991,
President George H.W. Bush
George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; pr ...
granted Myra a presidential pardon for her conviction (Conspiracy to receive and obtain national defense information and transmit same to foreign government, 18 U.S.C. § 793).
See also
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