Technician Tabbed Spy By Russia To Visit Home Still Faces Charges, But For Now Just Wants Some Time With Folks

Richard Bliss, a cellular phone technician who was accused of spying in Russia, will make a brief visit to his hometown this weekend to visit relatives.

Other than a news conference Saturday evening, Bliss, 29, plans to keep the visit low key, said his father, Robert Bliss of Longview. He is to arrive today, spend Sunday with his father and stepmother, Lou Bliss, and leave Monday.

“We’ll have one day of private conversation before he has to leave again. … We’re going to go over his scrapbook and the stuff that the general public signed and all the newspaper articles,” Robert Bliss said.

Richard Bliss is a field technician for San Diego-based Qualcomm Inc. who was working to install a $5.6 million cellular telephone system under contract with the Russian government. He was arrested Nov. 25 when Russian officials accused him of using illegal equipment and surveying sensitive sites.

Bliss was released from jail after 12 days but was told he would have to remain in Russia.

Russia allowed him to return to the United States for Christmas but said he would have to return by Jan. 10. Russia later said he did not have to return by that deadline, though it has not dropped the charges.

Bliss said he will return to Russia if necessary to clear his name.