American-Jewish contractor Alan Gross, who has been imprisoned in Cuba since 2009, settled a negligence lawsuit against his U.S. government employer, claiming the risks associated with his mission had been underestimated. Gross and his wife, Judy, settled the suit against Development Alternatives Inc (DAI)., a for the U.S. Agency for International Development in Maryland, according to a federal notice issued last week. The notice did not disclose the settlement amount. The Grosses filed a $60 million lawsuit in November charging that Alan Gross should have been better trained and informed of the risks before going on his mission to Cuba, where he was tasked with establishing Internet access for the Jewish community there. Gross, 64, was arrested in December 2009 as he was leaving Cuba, for alleged “crimes against the state.” Gross told DAI after earlier missions that the projects were “very risky,” and warned supervisors that unauthorized use of radio frequencies “usually means confiscation of equipment and arrest of users,” his lawsuit said, according to Bloomberg News. Gross is believed to be ill and suffering from cancer. His imprisonment increased tensions between the United States and Cuba. Bill Richardson, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations visited Cuba in 2011 in unsuccessful bid to secure Gross’s release. Recently, the U.S. also has turned down a proposal to free Gross in exchange for a group of five convicted Cuban spies.
