WASHINGTON: The US pair has been captured in the West Virginia state for allegedly selling information about nuclear warships with what they believe is a foreign country, said the Department of Justice.
Jonathan Teebbe, 42, who worked as a nuclear engineer for the US Navy, and his wife Diana, 45, was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Agency on Saturday and was charged with violating atomic energy laws in criminal complaints, the Ministry of Justice said in a statement.
For almost a year, the pair “sells information known as limited data on the design of nuclear-powered warships to someone they believe as representatives of foreign forces,” said the statement, added that the recipient of the information was actually the FBI incognito agent.
US nuclear-powered hungry is in the center of the main diplomatic crisis between Paris and Washington last month, when Australia canceled a large contract to buy submarines from France.
Toebbe, based in Annapolis, Maryland and has access to limited data on nuclear-powered warships through his work, collaborating with his wife to exchange data on submarine nuclear reactors for around $ 100,000 in Cryptocurrency, Affidavit’s statement complaint.
When TOEBBE first tried to establish contact with foreign government – which was not identified in Affidavit – he wrote, “I apologize for this bad translation into your language.
Please forward this letter to your military intelligence agency,” according to complaints.
“I believe this information will be great value for your nation.
This is not a trick.” Affidavit said Teebbe in April 2020 sent packages to foreign governments “which contained limited data samples and instructions for building confidential relationships,” according to the statement.
According to complaints, the FBI intercepted the package, and incognito agents posed as representatives from foreign governments to build relationships with partners.
The agent sends Jonathan Toebbe, who uses a pseudonym “Alice,” an email that offers prizes as thank you for the data.
But Toebbe responds carefully, asking to set the location of “drop dead” and paid in Cryptocurrency.
The pair in the following months transferred several elementary (safe) data cards encrypted by agents.
In the first land drop, “The SD card was wrapped in plastic and placed between two slices of bread in half a peanut butter sandwich,” said the agent in the complaint.
Another SD card is hidden in a gum package and closed band-aid wrap, with band-aid still inside.
The couple was arrested on Saturday after leaving another SD card at the decline.
US prosecutor General Merrick Garland praised the agents involved in “thwarting the plot” and “took this first step in bringing the perpetrators to the court,” according to the statement.
The Defense Department declined to comment when contacted by AFP.
The couple will appear in the West Virginia Federal Court on October 12.
The US nuclear-powered submarine has been the subject of recent attention when Australia and England in September launched a new defense contract for the submarine, negotiated secretly for several months.
To join the pact, Australia knocked down the Multimillion-Dollar contract with France, triggered international lines that saw Paris considering the ambassador to Canberra.