nuclear submarines to a foreign country, in an alleged espionage plot discovered by the FBI. Do you know where to report any Potential Espionage Indicators you may observe Resources for further exploration: DoD Instruction 5210.42 - DoD Nuclear. A payment made by the FBI to Toebbe worth about $100,000 has not been located, the agent testified. Jonathan Toebbe, who had top-secret security clearance, worked on projects related to Navy nuclear submarine propulsion since 2012, first as an active-duty officer, rising to the rank of. A Navy nuclear engineer and his wife have been charged with repeatedly trying to pass secrets about U.S. The memory card contained 'militarily sensitive design elements, operating parameters and performance characteristics of Virginia-class submarine reactors,' according to the Justice Department.Īn FBI agent testified during a court hearing in October that Toebbe asked for $5 million worth of cryptocurrency in exchange for the secret submarine information. Toebbe, who had a top-secret security clearance, communicated with an undercover FBI agent posing as a foreign official over the course of several months, the Justice Department said.Īt one point, Toebbe hid a digital memory card containing documents about submarine nuclear reactors in half a peanut butter sandwich at a 'dead drop' location in West Virginia while his wife acted as lookout, the Justice Department said. Prosecutors alleged in an October indictment that the Toebbes tried to sell government secrets about nuclear submarine propulsion to an unidentified foreign country. The plea deal 'indicates that the government likely had a very strong case and saw this conduct as posing a very serious risk to national security,' said Brandon Van Grack, a national security lawyer at Morrison & Foerster not involved in the case. Three months later, Awwad returned to the embassy to chase up the prospect, but was disappointed by the lack of security awareness exhibited by the person he met. Navy nuclear engineer and his wife were charged with trying to share some of the United States best kept secrets about submarine technology with another country, according to court documents unsealed on Sunday. Toebbe's plea agreement calls for him to face a likely sentence of between 12 years to 17 years in prison. Toebbe, 42, a former naval officer, held a top-secret security clearance and had worked on projects related to the nuclear propulsion of Navy submarines since 2012. Toebbe's 45-year-old wife, Diana, who was charged with helping her husband, is still facing criminal charges.

Toebbe, 42, admitted to conspiring with his wife to disclose restricted data, a violation of the Atomic Energy Act that carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. Navy engineer Jonathan Toebbe appears for his first court hearing on charges that he and his wife Diana attempted to sell secrets about nuclear submarines to a foreign. A United States Navy nuclear engineer and his spouse have been arrested on espionage charges after allegedly attempting to sell confidential information, the US Department of Justice.

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