Prosecutors: U.S. feared Maryland doctor would give Russia access to President Biden's medical records
BALTIMORE - Dr. Jamie Lee Henry, an Army major on trial with his wife for leaking patients' private medical records, told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren, "Be kind to one another, life is short" when asked about opening statements in his case.
The government called Dr. Henry and his spouse Dr. Anna Gabrielian "useful long-term weapons for Russia" as prosecutors laid out their case Tuesday in Baltimore's Garmatz federal courthouse.
Prosecutors alleged the couple could potentially provide the Russian government access to President Biden's medical records, among other high-profile patients, in systems accessible online.
The government said the doctors "understood the risks they were taking" and were willing to "boldly wave goodbye to the United States" and go to Russia before they were caught.
But defense attorneys called their clients "naive do-gooders" who only reached out to the Russian embassy to provide humanitarian assistance.
Gabrielian's attorney, Chris Mead, told jurors she reached out to the Russian embassy using her Johns Hopkins work email account but became frightened after dealing with a woman she thought was a Russian operative.
Meade said she was frightened the woman was like the "KGB" and said his client feared the Russian government would harm her family still in the country.
Here is the text of the original email Gabrielian wrote in Russian to that country's embassy.
"My husband and I are both doctors. I am an anesthesiologist. He works in intensive care. We are ready to help if there is need for that. We are for life, and we do not want to cut off Russia from the international community."
Dr. Gabrielian is a naturalized United States citizen whose scientist parents moved to Maryland when she was eight years old.
"They were trapped by our government," Mead said of the case against his client.
Tuesday afternoon, Federal prosecutors began playing more than five hours of undercover recordings of the pair. They included five separate meetings, several
In hotels.
Those recordings were made by an undercover FBI agent who first approached Dr. Gabrielian at a Johns Hopkins Hospital parking garage before her shift.
Prosecutors said the anesthesiologist promised access to medical records at the prestigious hospital and told jurors the defendants "abused their positions as medical professionals."
"Hannah loves her Russian roots. Loving Russia is complicated. It always has been. It does not mean if you love where you're from, you are willing to spy for it," Mead said.
Jurors later watched video of Gabrielian offer her military spouse identification card to the undercover agent, because the two had similar features and it would give Russia access to military bases.
They also heard Dr. Henry discuss treating a close relative of President Biden and a former senator.
The undercover agent testified in disguise and used a pseudonym. Because of security concerns, members of the public and media could only listen to audio of her voice from a separate courtroom on a different floor of the courthouse and had to relinquish their phones and smart watches before entering the proceedings.
Prosecutors said Dr. Henry was reading a book titled 'Inside the Aquarium' about a Soviet spy willing to sacrifice everything, and he was motivated to help Russia in part because of his dislike of United States' policy.
Henry made headlines as the first openly transgender Army officer while he was at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. His lawyer argued because of Russia's poor record on LGBTQ+ rights, "It is ludicrous [Henry] wanted to help the Russian government."
Testimony continues Wednesday with more of the undercover videos.
The defendants face decades in prison if convicted.
Related coverage
- Jury seated in trial of Maryland doctors accused of giving Russia private medical records
- Hopkins anesthesiologist, Army Major spouse conspired to offer medical records to Russia: federal indictment
- Hopkins doctor and U.S. Army doctor claim entrapment in Russia conspiracy case
- Hopkins doctor and husband plead not guilty to attempting to provide Russia medical info
