The head of the U.S. Navy has been indicted on espionage and other charges for allegedly leaking classified information to “citizens and employees of foreign governments.”
Chief Fire Controller Bryce Stephen Pedisini is from Tennessee and joined the Navy in 2008. He served on the USS Curtis Wilbur and USS McFall and was promoted to chief in August 2022. Just a few months earlier, allegations of spying had surfaced. The unidentified “foreigner” has begun.
Pedicini allegedly met with foreign nationals in Hampton Roads, Virginia, on multiple occasions between November 2022 and February 2023 for the purpose of handing over “national defense” information. billing documents he claimed. The document further claimed that there was “reason to believe” that the information Pedicini shared “could be used to harm the United States and advantage foreign countries.”
Pedicini was assigned to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center in Norfolk, Virginia, at the time these alleged crimes occurred. navy times report.
Pedicini was also assigned to serve aboard the missile destroyer USS Higgins in Yokosuka, Japan, where he reported. April 2023 Supervises the Aegis radar system. In the weeks following his arrival aboard the Higgins, Mr. Pedicini failed to report any contact with foreign nationals, “failed to report the solicitation of classified material by unauthorized persons,” and sent his personal electronic devices to sea. He is accused of further smuggling confidential information by bringing the information into a restricted area. Charging documents say he entered the vessel and photographed classified material, including “computer screens” of at least one secret Internet Protocol router network.
The last alleged incident occurred in Japan between May 13th and 17th, and Mr. Pedicini was placed in pretrial detention on May 19th. He was indicted last month and a motion hearing was scheduled for early this week. Officials have not said when his trial will begin.
“Sailors assigned to the Arleigh Burke-class missile destroyer USS Higgins (DDG 76) are suspected of mishandling classified documents and information. This incident remains under investigation and legal proceedings are ongoing. ” said the commander. According to U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs Officer Arlo Abrahamson, news nation.
Navy Surface Forces declined further comment, the Navy Times reported. The Navy’s legal team did not respond to the newspaper’s request for comment, and Pedicini was “unreachable.”
The Navy Times claimed that Mr. Pedicini was the first Navy sailor to be indicted on espionage charges in the last five years.
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