A former Nationwide Safety Company worker in Colorado has been charged with violating the Espionage Act for allegedly making an attempt to ship categorized nationwide protection info to a overseas authorities.
Federal prosecutors don’t establish the federal government in query, although courtroom data say the suspect — Jareh Sebastian Dalke, 30, of Colorado Springs — was making an attempt to make contact with Russia’s International Intelligence Service.
Dalke, who holds certification to work as a regulation enforcement officer in Colorado, was scheduled to seem Thursday afternoon in federal courtroom in Denver, in response to a information launch from the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace for the District of Colorado.
Dalke labored for the NSA as an info programs safety designer, from June 6 to July 1, 2022, in response to the information launch.
Between August and September, Dalke allegedly used an “encrypted e-mail account to transmit excerpts of three categorized paperwork he had obtained throughout his employment” to somebody he believed was working for a overseas authorities. The contact was in actuality an undercover FBI agent.
In line with an arrest warrant affidavit, Dalke mentioned that he had reached out by way of “a number of revealed channels to achieve a response,” together with by submitting info to the SVR, Russia’s overseas intelligence company.
“Dalke subsequently organized to switch further categorized info in his possession to the undercover FBI agent at a location in Denver,” the discharge mentioned.
He was arrested by the FBI on Wednesday when he arrived on the specified location.
On July 29, Dalke, by encrypted e-mail, allegedly advised the spy that “he had taken extremely delicate info referring to overseas focusing on of U.S. programs, and knowledge on U.S. cyber operations, amongst different subjects,” the information launch mentioned.
Dalke allegedly requested compensation in cryptocurrency in alternate for the incriminating info he possessed, in response to the U.S. Division of Justice. Dalke allegedly transmitted excerpts of three categorized paperwork to the undercover FBI agent. In alternate, the spy offered the requested cryptocurrency.
On Aug. 26, Dalke requested $85,000 in return for added info in his possession. Dalke had re-applied to work for the NSA in August 2022, the information launch mentioned.
Dalke was scheduled to seem in U.S. District Court docket in Denver at 2 p.m. Thursday. He has been charged with three violations of the Espionage Act, which carries a possible demise sentence and a potential life jail time period.
In line with the affidavit and state data, Dalke is a state-certified Colorado regulation enforcement officer who has served with the Colorado Rangers, a volunteer group that gives reserve law enforcement officials to companies statewide.
Employees writers Sam Tabachnik and Elise Schmelzer contributed to this report.