Navy nuclear engineer charged with trying to pass secrets

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WASHINGTON – A Navy atomic technologist with entree to subject secrets has been charged with trying to walk accusation astir the plan of American nuclear-powered submarines to idiosyncratic helium thought was a typical of a overseas authorities but who turned retired to beryllium an undercover FBI agent, the Justice Department said Sunday.

In a transgression ailment detailing espionage-related charges against Jonathan Toebbe, the authorities said helium sold accusation for astir the past twelvemonth to a interaction helium believed represented a overseas power. That state was not named successful the tribunal documents.

Toebbe, 42, was arrested successful West Virginia connected Saturday on with his 45-year-old wife, Diana, aft helium had placed a removable representation paper astatine a prearranged “dead drop” successful Jefferson County, according to the Justice Department.

It wasn’t instantly wide whether either Toebbe had a lawyer. The Toebbes are from Annapolis, Maryland. The Navy declined to remark Sunday.

The FBI says the strategy began successful April 2020 erstwhile Jonathan Toebbe sent a bundle of Navy documents to a overseas authorities and said helium was funny successful selling operations manuals, show reports and different delicate information.

Authorities accidental helium besides provided instructions for however to behaviour the furtive relationship, with a missive that said: “I apologize for this mediocre translation into your language. Please guardant this missive to your subject quality agency. I judge this accusation volition beryllium of large worth to your nation. This is not a hoax.”

The FBI's ineligible bureau successful the overseas state received the package, which had a instrumentality code of Pittsburgh, past December. That led to a monthslong undercover cognition successful which an cause posing arsenic a typical of the overseas authorities offered to wage thousands of dollars successful cryptocurrency for the accusation Toebbe was offering.

In June, the FBI says, the undercover cause sent $10,000 successful cryptocurrency to Toebbe, describing it arsenic a motion of bully religion and trust.

The pursuing week, FBI agents watched arsenic the Toebbes arrived astatine an agreed-upon determination successful West Virginia for the exchange, with Diana Toebbe appearing to service arsenic a lookout for her hubby during the dead-drop operation, according to the complaint. the FBI recovered a bluish SD paper wrapped successful integrative and placed betwixt 2 slices of breadstuff connected a peanut food sandwich, the ailment says.

The FBI paid Toebbe $20,000 for the transaction and provided the contents of the SD paper to a Navy taxable substance expert, who determined that the records included plan elements and show characteristics of Virginia-class submarine reactors, the Justice Department said. Those submarines are sophisticated, nuclear-powered “cruise rocket fast-attack submarines,” according to the complaint.

The SD paper besides included a typed connection that said, successful part: “I anticipation your experts are precise blessed with the illustration provided and I recognize the value of a tiny speech to turn our trust.”

The FBI conducted akin dead-drop exchanges implicit the adjacent respective months, including an August 1 successful Virginia successful which Toebbe was paid $70,000 and concealed an SD paper successful a chewing gum package, the ailment says.

The ailment alleges violations of the Atomic Energy Act, which restricts the disclosure of accusation related to atomic weapons oregon atomic materials.

The Toebbes are expected to person their archetypal tribunal appearances Tuesday successful Martinsburg, West Virginia.

Jonathan Toebbe has worked for the U.S. authorities since 2012, holding a top-secret information clearance and specializing successful naval atomic propulsion, the FBI says. He has besides been assigned to a laboratory successful the Pittsburgh country that officials accidental works connected atomic powerfulness for the U.S. Navy.

No 1 answered astatine the Toebbe residence connected Sunday day successful a waterside Annapolis assemblage by the South River. An extracurricular airy was connected supra the doorway of their home, and a canine barked inside.

John Cooley, who lives crossed the thoroughfare from the Toebbes, said helium counted much than 30 FBI agents connected his artifact connected Saturday from astir 2:30 p.m. until aft dark. He said agents went wrong the home.

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Associated Press writers Brian Witte successful Annapolis, Robert Burns successful Washington and Adrian Sainz successful Memphis contributed to this report.

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Follow Eric Tucker connected Twitter astatine http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP

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