Woman Stuck With Espionage Plea, Despite Surprise 21-Year Term

An Annapolis woman serving more than 21 years in prison for espionage gave up her right to challenge her sentence when she pleaded guilty to the crime, the Fourth Circuit said Wednesday.

It doesn’t matter that the sentence imposed was far higher than that contemplated by the plea agreement. A defendant’s expectation of a lower sentence, even if reasonable, isn’t grounds for relief from an appeal waiver, Judge Paul V. Niemeyer said.

Diana Toebbe pleaded guilty in September 2022 to conspiracy to share restricted US Navy data relating to Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines with a foreign power.

It was Toebbe’s second ...