▁Sang am on ▁County , ▁Illinois ▁Category : Nov el ists ▁from ▁Illinois <0x0A> </s> ▁W en ▁Ho ▁Lee ▁( ; ▁born ▁December ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 1 9 3 9 ) ▁is ▁a ▁Taiwan ese - American ▁scient ist ▁who ▁worked ▁for ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁California ▁at ▁the ▁Los ▁Al amos ▁National ▁Labor atory ▁in ▁New ▁Mexico . ▁He ▁created ▁simulations ▁of ▁nuclear ▁explos ions ▁for ▁the ▁purposes ▁of ▁scientific ▁inqu iry , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁for ▁impro ving ▁the ▁safety ▁and ▁reli ability ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁nuclear ▁ar sen al . ▁A ▁federal ▁grand ▁j ury ▁ind icted ▁him ▁on ▁charges ▁of ▁ste aling ▁secre ts ▁about ▁the ▁U . S . ▁nuclear ▁ar sen al ▁for ▁the ▁People ' s ▁Republic ▁of ▁China ▁( P RC ) ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 9 9 . ▁ ▁After ▁federal ▁investig ators ▁were ▁unable ▁to ▁prove ▁these ▁initial ▁accus ations , ▁the ▁government ▁conducted ▁a ▁separate ▁investigation ▁and ▁was ▁ultimately ▁only ▁able ▁to ▁charge ▁Lee ▁with ▁impro per ▁handling ▁of ▁restricted ▁data , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁original ▁ 5 9 ▁ind ict ment ▁counts , ▁to ▁which ▁he ▁ple aded ▁guilty ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁ple a ▁settlement . ▁In ▁June ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁Lee ▁received ▁$ 1 . 6 ▁million ▁from ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁and ▁five ▁media ▁organizations ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁settlement ▁of ▁a ▁civil ▁suit ▁he ▁had ▁file d ▁against ▁them ▁for ▁le aking ▁his ▁name ▁to ▁the ▁press ▁before ▁any ▁formal