Nuclear Engineer And Spouse Arrested After Selling Classified Information To A Third Party

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ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) — Jonathan and Diana Toebbe were arrested successful Jefferson County, West Virginia, by the FBI connected Saturday, Oct. 9. The mates sold accusation known arsenic Restricted Data containing the plan of nuclear-powered warships.

They believed they were selling this accusation to a idiosyncratic of powerfulness but that idiosyncratic was an undercover FBI agent. The 2 person been charged successful a transgression ailment alleging violations of the Atomic Energy Act.

“The ailment charges a crippled to transmit accusation relating to the plan of our atomic submarines to a overseas nation,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The enactment of the FBI, Department of Justice prosecutors, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Department of Energy was captious successful thwarting the crippled charged successful the ailment and taking this first measurement successful bringing the perpetrators to justice.”

Jonathan Toebbe is an worker of the Department of the Navy who served arsenic a atomic technologist and was assigned to the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. He held an progressive nationalist information clearance done the U.S. Department of Defense, which gave him entree to Restricted Data.

The affidavit states that connected April 1, 2020, Jonathan Toebbe sent a bundle to a overseas authorities containing Restricted Data. He past started communicating with the idiosyncratic helium thought was a subordinate of the overseas government. He continued with this connection for respective months and this led to an statement that benefited some parties.

Jonathan Toebbe would hold to merchantability Restricted Data successful speech for thousands of dollars successful cryptocurrency.

On Jun. 26, the mates traveled to West Virginia for a pre-arranged “dead drop.” With his woman acting arsenic the lookout, Jonathan Toebbe placed an SD paper wrong a peanut food sandwich for the undercover cause to nonstop the cryptocurrency payment.

The paper contained Restricted Data related to submarine reactors and successful exchange, the cause sent him $20,000 successful cryptocurrency. The FBI arrested the mates connected Oct. 9, aft helium placed different SD paper astatine a pre-arranged “dead drop” astatine a 2nd determination successful West Virginia.

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