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A civilian employee for the Air Drive has been charged with illegally sending secret details about Russia’s conflict towards Ukraine by way of a overseas courting web site to a lady claiming to be in Ukraine, officers stated.
David Slater, 63, a former Military lieutenant colonel who was working in a civilian position for the Air Drive’s U.S. Strategic Command, was arrested Saturday, the Division of Justice stated Monday.
Matthew G. Olsen, assistant legal professional common for the Justice Division’s Nationwide Safety Division, stated in an announcement that Slater acted “in blatant disregard for the safety of his nation and his oath to safeguard its secrets and techniques.”
The messages, which prosecutors allege had been despatched over electronic mail and thru the courting platform to a lady who stated she was residing in Ukraine, occurred between roughly February 2022 and April 2022 — a timeframe that features Russia’s Feb. 24, 2022, unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Prosecutors say the lady recurrently requested Slater to offer “delicate, private, intently held, and categorized” nationwide protection data, calling him her “secret informant love.”
In a number of the messages, an indictment alleges, the lady referred to the conflict, together with asking, “Beloved Dave, do NATO and Biden have a secret plan to assist us?” and stating that “the provision of weapons is totally categorized, which is nice!”
In one other message cited within the indictment, the lady allegedly wrote that it was nice that Slater received details about a “specified” — however unnamed within the indictment — nation, and added, “I hope you’ll inform me immediately? You might be my undercover agent. With love.”
The indictment alleges that on March 28, 2022, Slater despatched categorized data “concerning navy targets in Russia’s conflict towards Ukraine,” and that on April 13 he despatched data “concerning Russian navy capabilities regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”
Slater labored in a categorized house at U.S. Strategic Command — headquartered at Offutt Air Drive Base simply exterior of Omaha, Nebraska — and had a “prime secret” safety clearance from round August 2021 and April 2022, the Justice Division stated.
Beginning in February 2022, the identical month that Russia invaded, he attended Strategic Command briefings about Russia’s conflict towards Ukraine that had been categorized, the indictment says.
Slater, of Nebraska, is charged with one depend of conspiracy to reveal nationwide protection data and two counts of unauthorized disclosure of nationwide protection data.
“The Division of Justice will search to carry accountable those that knowingly and willfully put their nation in danger by disclosing categorized data,” Olsen stated.
On-line federal court docket information didn’t present an legal professional who might converse on Slater’s behalf Monday evening. He’s due in federal court docket in Nebraska on Tuesday, the Justice Division stated.
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