A U.S. Air Force civilian employee with top-secret intelligence used a foreign dating site to send sensitive national defense information to someone claiming to be a woman in Ukraine, according to the Department of Justice.
David Franklin Slater, 63, was arrested Saturday and charged with conspiracy to disclose national defense information and fraudulent disclosure of national defense information.
He could face up to 10 years in prison.
Slater was assigned to U.S. Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, when he began communicating with anonymous co-conspirators.
The Justice Department said their online relationship lasted from approximately February 2022 to April 2022, during which time Slater attended confidential conferences regarding Russia’s war against Ukraine.
of Three-count indictment The suit alleges that Slater’s contacts on the dating site “regularly asked him to provide classified, non-public, and classified information” to Air Force personnel. [national defense information]” could be accessed.
“American intelligence says 100% of Russian troops are already stationed on Ukrainian territory. Do you think this information is reliable?” According to the indictment, Slater had a romantic relationship in March 2022. It is said that he was targeted.
“By the way, you were the first to tell me that NATO countries are traveling by train, and it was just announced (already in the evening) on our news. ‘s beloved secret informant!” the person told Slater in another message sent through the dating site.
“Dear Dave, do NATO and Biden have a secret plan to help us?” the person asked in another message sent less than a month after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. .
Honeytrap, referred to in the indictment as “Conspirator 1,” had a vested interest in Mr. Slater’s travels to and from the Air Force base.
“Hey, what’s on the screen in the stateroom? That’s very interesting,” the person asked Slater in one message.
“How was the meeting? Was it a success?” Slater is asked in another communication.
“You have work in the operations center today, remember? There must be a lot of interesting news there, right?” Another message appears.
One of the communications included in the indictment alleges that Mr. Slater contacted an alleged Ukrainian woman on April 14, 2022, on the same day as Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Rep. Victoria Spartz. (Republican) visited the war-torn country, making him the first US official to visit Ukraine since the invasion, which has been suggested by US officials who said he was heading to Kiev.
“Dear Dave, thank you for the valuable information. It’s great to have two officials from the United States going to Kiev,” the person told Slater in the message.
Other letters refer to Slater as a “secret agent” and appear to discuss arms shipments to Ukraine and NATO “surprises” for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“It’s great that you have information.” [Specified Country 1] beginning. Could you please let me know right away? You are my secret agent. With love,” the person tells Slater.
“Dave, the weapons supply is completely classified, which is great!” another message from Slater’s co-conspirator reads.
“Dave, I hope that tomorrow NATO will prepare a very unpleasant “surprise” for Putin! Could you tell me? ” the person asks in another communication.
Slater: “It is certainly provided as confidential information.” [national defense information] According to the Department of Justice, to co-conspirator 1.
“For example, on or about March 28, 2022; [Slater] Sent confidential NDI on or about April 13, 2022 regarding military targets in Russia’s war against Ukraine; [Slater] sent confidentially [national defense information] “with respect to Russian military capabilities in connection with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” the indictment states.
Slater will make his first court appearance in Nebraska on Tuesday.
The Justice Department’s arrest announcement came on the same day that disgraced former Massachusetts Air National Guard trooper Jack Teixera pleaded guilty to six counts of knowingly retaining and transmitting national defense information.
Teixeira is accused of leaking a classified Pentagon document detailing an intelligence assessment of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in a Discord chat room to impress online friends.
