had to share with two other men had a TV and a fan. The attorney who visited Gross in jail, Armanda Nuria Piñero Sierra, was hired as Gross's lawyer and handled his trial and appeals. She also represented the families of five Cubans held in U.S. prisons after being convicted in 2001 on charges of conspiracy to commit espionage against U.S. military installations, leading to the immediate speculation after Gross's arrest that Cuba wanted to swap him for the five. In October 2011, it was revealed that the U.S. State Department had offered to let one of them who had been released from prison in the U.S. on probation serve the remainder of his probation in Cuba in exchange for Gross's release. U.S. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen said Gross's treatment was an attempt by Cuba to get a "concession." Many Jewish groups, including the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and the American Jewish Committee, protested against his detention. Charges In January 2010, Ricardo Alarcón, the president of the Cuban National Assembly, erroneously said that Gross was "contracted to work for American intelligence services," which was denied by both the U.S. government and Gross's attorneys. More than a year later, in February 2011, Gross was charged not with espionage but with "acts against the independence and territorial integrity of the state" ("Actos Contra la Independencia o la Integridad Territorial del Estado"), a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Gross's trial was set for March 4, 2011. Sentencing On March 12, 2011, Gross was sentenced to 15 years in prison. According to the Cuban News Agency, he had been part of a "subversive project of the U.S. government that aimed to destroy the Revolution through the use of communication systems out of the control of authorities." Gross's wife attended the trial with her and Gross’ U.S. attorney, who was not allowed to meet Gross until after the trial. Three U.S. officials also attended as observers. Gross's case was appealed to the Supreme Court of Cuba, which affirmed the sentence in August 2011. Reactions and advocacy After the sentence was passed, Gross's American attorney, Peter J. Kahn, said in a written statement: "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