Submarine spy couple receives harsher prison sentences after judge rejected plea deals

In another twist in the espionage case, the wife of a former Navy nuclear engineer who acted as a lookout for her husband as he passed military secrets to someone he believed to be an agent of another country received a harsher sentence than her husband. 

Diana Toebbe, a former schoolteacher, was sentenced to 21 years in prison, while Jonathan Toebbe was sentenced to more than 18 years. 

U.S. District Judge Gina Groh, who imposed the sentences, unexpectedly rejected the couple's initial plea deals in August after she deemed the sentencing guidelines reached by the government and defense teams to be insufficient and not reflective of the crime. At the time, the government sought up to 17.5 years for Jonathan Toebbe and three years for Diana Toebbe.