A bitter separation and parenting battle involving the astronaut Anne McClain led to an unusual accusation last year: Ms. McClain’s ex-wife accused her of improperly accessing her bank account from the International Space Station. But after a lengthy investigation, federal prosecutors said on Monday that the former spouse, Summer Worden, had lied to investigators about some relevant details, and that a federal grand jury had indicted Ms. Worden on charges that could result in up to five years in prison. The indictment, returned in February but unsealed this week, alleges that Ms. Worden opened the bank account earlier than she had told investigators, and that she had not changed her login credentials until months later than she had claimed. The case represented an unprecedented allegation of a crime in space, which experts say could become less unusual as living and working in space becomes more routine. The current case raises questions, for example, about whether records of Ms. McClain’s internet usage from space could be subpoenaed in court to help aid in Ms. Worden’s defense.

Source: International New York Times April 07, 2020 03:33 UTC