Jack Soble
Encyclopedia
Jack Soble (born May 15, 1903 in Vilkaviskis
, Lithuania
- ?, but possibly (1897-1974) was a Jewish 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 together with his wife Myra Soble
on espionage charges.
Soble and his wife Myra Soble were arrested in the United States in 1957 as part of an espionage ring known as the "Mocase", subsequent to information provided by defecting NKVD
agent Boris Morros
. Morros named Jane Foster Zlatovski, her husband George Zlatovski, Alfred Stern, Robert Soblen, and Jacob Albam as members of the espionage ring. After their arrest, the Sobles were interviewed numerous times, Jack at the Federal Correction Facility in Danbury, Connecticut and Myra at the Women's House of Detention, in New York City, where they provided some information. They were questioned about members of the Rosenberg spy ring, but they both denied knowing many of the members. The Sobles revealed that they had traveled to Russia, Lithuania, Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Japan, Canada, and the United States on behalf of Soviet intelligence. On a mission to gather intelligence on Stalin opponent Leon Trotsky
, Jack visited Trotsky in Turkey in 1931 and in Copenhagen, Denmark a year later.
After a trial, both Jack and Myra Soble, along with their associate Jacob Albam, were convicted on espionage charges and sentenced to prison. Myra received a 5½ year prison sentence for her role in the espionage ring. On October 8, 1957, Federal Judge Richard H. Levet, United States District Court, Southern District of New York, reduced her sentence to four years. Levet sentenced Jack Soble to seven years in prison.
Soble's code name in Soviet intelligence and in the Venona files is ABRAM.
Vilkaviškis
Vilkaviškis Until 1940 the city had a large Jewish Community which was annihilated by the Nazis and their local collaborators. The whole Jewish population was killed in a single day,, after the entry of the Germans into the city.-Names:...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
- ?, but possibly (1897-1974) was a Jewish Lithuanian who, together with his brother Robert Soblen
Robert Soblen
Dr. Robert Soblen , was a prominent member of the pro-Trotsky Left Opposition in Germany in the 1930s. He moved to the United States in 1941 with his brother Jack Soble, and was arrested in 1960 as a Soviet spy. Convicted and sentenced to life in prison, he fled the U.S...
, penetrated Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky , born Lev Davidovich Bronshtein, was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and theorist, Soviet politician, and the founder and first leader of the Red Army....
's entourage for Soviet intelligence in the 1920s. Later, in the United States, he was jailed together with his wife Myra Soble
Myra Soble
Myra Soble together with her husband Jack Soble was tried and jailed for her involvement in the Soble spy ring.Myra Soble , was born on March 18, 1904, in Nikloaev, Ukraine, Russia. She was the wife of Jack Soble. Myra and Jack were married on November 24, 1927, in Moscow...
on espionage charges.
Soble and his wife Myra Soble were arrested in the United States in 1957 as part of an espionage ring known as the "Mocase", subsequent to information provided by defecting NKVD
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
agent Boris Morros
Boris Morros
Boris Morros was an American Communist Party member, Paramount Studios producer, Soviet agent, and FBI double agent.Morros was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and emigrated with his family to America in 1922...
. Morros named Jane Foster Zlatovski, her husband George Zlatovski, Alfred Stern, Robert Soblen, and Jacob Albam as members of the espionage ring. After their arrest, the Sobles were interviewed numerous times, Jack at the Federal Correction Facility in Danbury, Connecticut and Myra at the Women's House of Detention, in New York City, where they provided some information. They were questioned about members of the Rosenberg spy ring, but they both denied knowing many of the members. The Sobles revealed that they had traveled to Russia, Lithuania, Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Japan, Canada, and the United States on behalf of Soviet intelligence. On a mission to gather intelligence on Stalin opponent Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky , born Lev Davidovich Bronshtein, was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and theorist, Soviet politician, and the founder and first leader of the Red Army....
, Jack visited Trotsky in Turkey in 1931 and in Copenhagen, Denmark a year later.
After a trial, both Jack and Myra Soble, along with their associate Jacob Albam, were convicted on espionage charges and sentenced to prison. Myra received a 5½ year prison sentence for her role in the espionage ring. On October 8, 1957, Federal Judge Richard H. Levet, United States District Court, Southern District of New York, reduced her sentence to four years. Levet sentenced Jack Soble to seven years in prison.
Soble's code name in Soviet intelligence and in the Venona files is ABRAM.