Cuba Jails U.S. Man for 15 Years

U.S. contractor Alan Gross, who was arrested in Cuba late in 2009 for allegedly setting up illegal Internet connections, has been convicted for crimes against the state and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Gross was found guilty of working on a "subversive" intermediary U.S. project that deliberately attempted to undermine the Cuban government, according to a state-run website in Cuba. Gross' work was humanitarian and largely committed to helping connect Cuba's Jewish community to the Internet. Gross' defense attorney, who called for the contractor's immediate release on humanitarian grounds, has promised to continue working with the Cuban court to explore the possibility of an appeal.