TODAY in 1942, the Federal Bureau of Investigation convicted 33 members of a German spy ring headed by Fritz Joubert Duquesne in the largest espionage case in United States history—the Duquesne Spy Ring.
Of those indicted, 19 pleaded guilty.
The remaining 14 were brought to jury trial in Federal District Court, Brooklyn, New York, on September 3, 1941; all were found guilty on December 13, 1941.
On January 2, 1942, the group was sentenced to serve a total of over 300 years in prison.