372: Steve Conley – Operation Parlor Maid, SSA JJ Smith and Asset Katrina Leung

FBI Case File Review

Jerri Williams

True Crime, Interviews, Fiction, History, Fbi, Government, Truecrime

4.6 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 8 October 2025

⏱️ 92 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Retired agent Steve Conley reviews his investigation of the 18-year period in which Katrina Leung, one of the Bureau's highest-paid assets, was operated by former FBI Supervisory Special Agent (SSA) James J. Smith, known as JJ. Katrina Leung's code name was Parlor Maid. Steve's investigation determined that during the time Smith was Leung's handler, not only was she actively spying for the People's Republic of China against the United States, but they were involved in a sexual relationship. Steve received the Director's Award for his work on this espionage case. Steven Conley served in the FBI for over 24 years.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	J.J. ran everything through her. All the cases, everyone we were looking at, anybody that had any questions, and I was told when I got to the squad, hey, anything you want to know, run it through JJ. He'll take it to Parliament. She'll get you everything you want to know. So everything was being run through her.
0:13.6	JJ, of course, knew everything. And because he was held out to be this expert in the intelligence community and the whole I see it impacted other agencies too
0:21.4	it was assumed anything that he knew he probably gave to her he probably told her about it
0:28.4	welcome to episode 372 of FBI case file review with Jerry Williams.
0:37.9	I'm a retired agent on a mission to show you who the FBI is and what the FBI does
0:44.7	through my books, my blog, and my podcast case reviews with former colleagues.
0:50.1	Today we get to speak to retired agent Steve Conley, who served in the FBI for over 24 years.
0:58.6	In this episode, he reviews his investigation of the 18-year period in which Katrina Leong,
1:07.2	one of the Bureau's highest paid counterintelligence assets was operated by former FBI supervisory
1:14.7	special agent James J. Smith, known as J.J. Katrina Leong's codename was parlor made. Steve's investigation
1:23.9	determined during the time that Smith worked with Liang, not only had she been actively
1:30.8	spying for the People's Republic of China against the United States, but she and Smith were
1:37.5	involved in an intimate sexual relationship. Steve received the FBI Director's Award for his work on this espionage case.
1:47.1	He is currently working on a crime novel in which he fictionalizes his investigation of
1:53.1	Operation Parlor Made. Steve began his FBI career as a surveillance specialist in the Los Angeles
2:00.7	field office. After receiving his appointment
2:03.5	as an agent, he worked counterintelligence, counter espionage, and health care investigations
2:09.0	in Los Angeles. Steve was promoted to FBI headquarters as a supervisory special agent in the
2:16.7	counterintelligence and inspection divisions and then to a supervisory special agent in the counterintelligence and inspection divisions,
2:19.8	and then to a supervisory position in the Chicago Division, managing counterintelligence
2:25.8	and counter-espionage investigations. He continued in management as an assistant special agent in
2:32.6	charge, ASAC, and acting special agent in charge,
	...

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