Passport snoop sentenced

A former U.S. State Department employee, who pleaded guilty to snooping on celebrity passport applications, was sentenced this week to one year of probation and fined $5,000, the Department of Justice said Wednesday. In January, Gerald Lueders, 65, of Woodbridge, Va., admitted to illegally accessing a database to view the passport applications of more than 50 actors, politicians, musicians and athletes. He is third State Department to plead guilty to similar charges. — DK