Press release from today.
Why don't agents just stick to the unclassified info, and the
declassified 411?!
All I could say once I read this one was, "_Sheeesh_"!
Bobby Vaughn
Independent Investigative Research and Journalism
A Call to Actions | PodCast Host
https://www.acalltoactions.com
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https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-nsa-employee-arrested-espionage-related-charges
Department of Justice Office of
Public Affairs
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, September 29,
2022 Former NSA Employee Arrested on Espionage-Related
Charges
A Colorado Springs man will make his initial appearance in federal
court today on charges that he attempted to transmit classified
National Defense Information (NDI) to a representative of a foreign
government.
Jareh Sebastian Dalke, 30, was an employee of the National Security
Agency (NSA) where he served as an Information Systems Security
Designer from June 6, 2022, to July 1, 2022. According to the
affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, between August and
September 2022, Dalke used an encrypted email account to transmit
excerpts of three classified documents he had obtained during his
employment to an individual Dalke believed to be working for a
foreign government. In actuality, that person was an undercover FBI
agent. Dalke subsequently arranged to transfer additional classified
information in his possession to the undercover FBI agent at a
location in Denver, Colorado. The FBI arrested Dalke on Sept. 28,
after Dalke arrived at the specified location.
According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint,
Dalke began communicating on or about July 29, 2022, via encrypted
email with an individual he believed to be associated with a foreign
government. Dalke told that individual that he had taken highly
sensitive information relating to foreign targeting of U.S. systems
and information on U.S. cyber operations, among other topics. Dalke
represented to the undercover FBI agent that he was still employed by
the U.S. government but said he was on a temporary assignment at a
field location. Dalke requested compensation via a specific type of
cryptocurrency in exchange for the information he possessed and stated
that he was in financial need.
To prove he had access to sensitive information, Dalke transmitted
excerpts of three classified documents to the undercover FBI agent.
Each excerpt contained classification markings. One excerpt was
classified at the Secret level, and two excerpts were classified at
the Top Secret level. In return for this information, the FBI
undercover agent provided the requested cryptocurrency to an address
Dalke provided.
On or about Aug. 26, 2022, Dalke requested $85,000 in return for
additional information in his possession. Dalke also told the FBI
undercover agent that he would share additional information in the
future, once he returned to the Washington, D.C., area. Although he
was not employed by the NSA while communicating with the FBI, Dalke
re-applied to the NSA in August 2022.
Dalke agreed to transmit additional information using a secure
connection set up by the FBI at a public location in Denver. On Sept.
28, at that location, the FBI arrested Dalke based on a signed
criminal complaint.
Dalke is charged by criminal complaint alleging three violations of
the Espionage Act, which makes it a crime to transmit or attempt to
transmit NDI to a representative of a foreign nation with intent or
reason to believe that information could be used to the injury of the
United States or to the advantage of a foreign nation. The Espionage
Act carries a potential sentence of death or any term of years up to
life.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice
Department’s National Security Division; U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan
for the District of Colorado; Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr.
of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division; Assistant Director in
Charge Steven M. D’Antuono of the FBI Washington Field Office and
Acting Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Mimura of the FBI Denver Field
Office made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julia K. Martinez and Jena R. Neuscheler for
the District of Colorado, and Trial Attorneys Christina A. Clark and
Adam L. Small of the National Security Division’s
Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting on
behalf of the government. The case is being investigated by the FBI
Denver Field Office and the FBI Washington Field Office.
_A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants
are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in
a court of law._ Attachment(s): Download Dalke
AffidavitTopic(s): Countering Nation-State
ThreatsCounterintelligenceNational SecurityComponent(s): Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI)National Security Division (NSD)USAO -
ColoradoPress Release Number: 22-1038 Updated September
29, 2022
