Cuba experts have said Havana hoped to use Gross's case to shine a light on the USAID's nefarious democracy-building programs.
A Cuban court on Saturday found U.S. contractor Alan Gross guilty of crimes against the state and sentenced him to 15 years in prison. … The court said prosecutors had proved their case that Gross, 61, was working on a “subversive” program paid for by the United States that aimed to bring down Cuba’s revolutionary system.
The court said the program that Gross worked on — part of a $20 million Washington effort to support democracy on the island — showed that the U.S. government continues to seek the government’s overthrow.
Gross received more than a half million dollars through his company, despite the fact he spoke little Spanish and had no history of working in Cuba. Gross traveled to the island several times over a short period on a tourist visa, apparently raising Cuban suspicions.