A former U.S. vice presidential military aide and FBI analyst has pleaded guilty to spying for Philippine political figures who are involved in a coup plot, the cable news network (CNN)television reported Friday.

Leandro Aragoncillo, 47, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in the Philippines who had worked at the offices of two U.S. vice presidents -- Al Gore and Dick Cheney, pleaded guilty to four charges on Thursday before a federal grand jury in Newark, New Jersey.

The charges include conspiracy to transmit national defense information, transmitting national defense information, unlawful retention of national defense information and unlawful use of a government computer.

He could get a maximum punishment of life imprisonment on the first two counts and for the other two charges there is a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

However, under a plea agreement, Aragoncillo now faces 15 to 20 years in prison. Sentencing was scheduled for August 14.

Aragoncillo, a former U.S. Marine, worked as a military aide to vice presidents Al Gore and Dick Cheney starting in 1999.

After retiring from the Marine Corps., he became a civilian analyst for the FBI, working at Fort Monmouth in central New Jersey.

He was arrested in September last year, along with a former Philippine police officer, who is accused of passing information from Aragoncillo about Philippine leaders to current and former Philippine political figures involved in a coup plot against Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Source: Xinhua