ANDRIA HALL, CNN ANCHOR: Wen Ho Lee is a step closer to freedom tonight. The former U.S. government scientist has been imprisoned for the past nine months, charged with illegally downloading nuclear secrets from computers at the Los Alamos Nuclear Laboratory. CNN has learned Lee has now reached a plea bargain agreement with federal prosecutors. Justice correspondent Pierre Thomas joins us now with details of the deal -- Pierre.</s>PIERRE THOMAS, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Andria, Lee will plead guilt of one felony count of mishandling classified information. Under terms of the deal, he will cooperate with federal prosecutors, providing information about missing tapes. If he agrees to all these aspects and a federal judge approves this deal, Lee could be free as early as this week -- Andrea.</s>HILL: Pierre, will Lee serve any jail time?</s>THOMAS: Again, he will be free as early as this week if the judge approves this particular deal. He's already been in jail, as you pointed out in your lead, for nine months, since December 10th, to be exact, and the government is saying that,if he agrees to all these terms, if he does provide information about the missing tapes -- he will be subject to lie detector tests to verify his answers. If he gives all this information, cooperates with government, he will be out as early as this week, again, if the court approves this particular decision.</s>HILL: Pierre, at one point you reported that he was facing life in prison. How did he go from facing such a stiff sentence to complete freedom, now?</s>THOMAS: Well, Lee had been charged with 59-count indictment for allegedly mishandling classified information; 59 counts -- those counts would have landed him in jail for life. One of the questions that the government is going to have to answer in the coming days is, how can you go from facing life in prison to, essentially, walking out of jail this week, free?</s>HILL: Well we will look for many more answers to this one. Thank you, Pierre Thomas, reporting live from Washington.
Wen Ho Lee to be Set Free on Plea Bargain