Alfred Tilton was born on 4 March 1897, in Mežotne parish, Latvia, then part of the Russian Empire.
[1] A well-educated individual, Tilton eventually learned Russian, German, French, and English as well as his native Latvian.
[1] Tilton worked for military intelligence in Germany during 1926 and 1927 before being transferred to New York City, where he became the GRU's rezident.
[1] From March 1932 to June 1936, Tilton served as the Commander and Commissar of the 5th Detached Mechanized Brigade in the town of Borisov.
[1] He did not immediately plead guilty to alleged crimes, however, only being sentenced on 15 December 1940, well after the fall of Secret Police head Nikolai Ezhov.