(CNN) A Virginia jury Friday found former CIA case officer Kevin Mallory guilty of transmitting secret and top secret documents to Chinese spies, according to a spokesman for the US attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia.

Mallory was also convicted of lying to investigators. He faces up to life in prison.

John Demers, the assistant attorney general for national security, reacted to the verdict by saying, "it is a sad day when an American citizen is convicted of spying on behalf of a foreign power."

He added, "this act of espionage was no isolated incident. The People's Republic of China has made a sophisticated and concerted effort to steal our nation's secrets."

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