He had been assigned to a government-owned laboratory in the Pittsburgh area that officials said worked on nuclear power for the US Navy. Mr Toebbe began working for the US government in 2012, holding a top-secret security clearance and specialising in naval nuclear propulsion, the FBI said. The Toebbes are expected to have their initial court appearances on Tuesday in Martinsburg, West Virginia. The complaint alleges violations of the Atomic Energy Act, which makes it a crime to disclose information about atomic weapons or nuclear materials with the intent of harming the United States. That card contained schematic designs for the Virginia-class submarine, according to court documents. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) project to recover the sunken Soviet submarine K-129 from the Pacific Ocean floor in 1974 using the purpose-built ship Hughes Glomar Explorer. In return, he handed over a packet of chewing gum which concealed another memory card. Project Azorian (also called 'Jennifer' by the press after its Top Secret Security Compartment) 1 was a U.S.
The FBI conducted similar dead-drop exchanges over the next several months, including one in August in Virginia, in which Mr Toebbe was paid roughly $US70,000. The memory card also included a typed message that said, in part: "I hope your experts are very happy with the sample provided and I understand the importance of a small exchange to grow our trust." That package, which had a return address in Pittsburgh, was obtained by the FBI last December through its legal attache office in the unspecified foreign country.Ĭourt documents described those submarines as nuclear-powered "cruise missile fast-attack submarines". I believe this information will be of great value to your nation. Please forward this letter to your military intelligence agency. Submarine Officer BACK TO CAREERS share The intricate machinery aboard a nuclear-powered submarine is complexbut managing the intricacies between the people demands just as much expertise. The FBI said the scheme began in April 2020, when Mr Toebbe - a US government employee since 2012 - sent a package of Navy documents to a foreign government and said he was interested in selling operations manuals, performance reports and other sensitive information.Īuthorities said he also provided instructions on how to conduct the furtive relationship, with a letter that said: "I apologize for this poor translation into your language. GET UP TO 140K NOW Text NAVYBONUS to 764764 for information. It was not immediately clear whether Mr Toebbe or his wife had engaged lawyers. The couple are from Annapolis, Maryland. Mr Toebbe, 42, was arrested in West Virginia on Saturday along with his 45-year-old wife, Diana, after he placed a removable memory card at a prearranged "dead drop" in the state's Jefferson County, according to the department. That country was not named in the court documents. In a criminal complaint detailing espionage-related charges against Jonathan Toebbe, the Justice Department said he sold information to a contact he believed represented a foreign power.
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