By Colleen Slevin, The Related Press
A former Nationwide Safety Company worker from Colorado pleaded responsible Monday to attempting to promote categorised data to Russia.
Federal prosecutors agreed to not ask for greater than about 22 years in jail for Jareh Sebastian Dalke when he’s sentenced in April, however the decide will finally resolve the punishment.
Dalke, a 31-year-old Military veteran from Colorado Springs, had confronted a doable life sentence for giving the knowledge to an undercover FBI agent who prosecutors say Dalke believed was a Russian agent.
Dalke pleaded responsible throughout a listening to earlier than U.S. District Choose Raymond Moore. He solely spoke in reply to questions from Moore about whether or not he understood the phrases of the deal. He acknowledged that he has been taking medicines for psychological sickness whereas being held in custody for a couple of yr.
Dalke was arrested on Sept. 28, 2022, after authorities say he arrived at Denver’s downtown practice station with a laptop computer and used a safe connection arrange by investigators to switch some categorised paperwork.
In line with the indictment, the knowledge Dalke sought to offer Russia included a risk evaluation of the navy offensive capabilities of a 3rd, unnamed nation. It additionally features a description of delicate U.S. protection capabilities, a few of which pertains to that very same international nation. He allegedly informed the secret agent that he had $237,000 in money owed and that he determined to work with Russia as a result of his heritage “ties again to your nation.”
Earlier than Dalke transferred the categorised data, he despatched a thanks letter that opened and closed in Russian and during which he mentioned he seemed “ahead to our friendship and shared profit,” in keeping with courtroom filings.
Dalke labored as an data programs safety designer for the NSA, the U.S. intelligence company that collects and analyzes alerts from international and home sources for the aim of intelligence and counterintelligence. After he left and gave the categorised data to the secret agent, prosecutors say he reapplied to work on the NSA.
Throughout a listening to final yr, Dalke’s federal public defender downplayed Dalke’s entry to categorised data since he solely labored on the NSA for lower than a month.
