Lee is accused of logging on and providing to help Russian authorities in change for Russian citizenship.
An energetic obligation soldier has been charged with in search of to cross delicate details about the USA Military’s principal battle tank to the Russian authorities, the US Justice Division has introduced.
The suspect, Taylor Adam Lee, has been charged with “tried transmission of nationwide protection info to a international adversary and tried export of managed technical knowledge with no license”, the Justice Division mentioned in an announcement on Wednesday.
Lee, a 22-year-old soldier stationed at Fort Bliss in Texas, has but to enter a plea within the prices, filed on the US District Courtroom for the Western District of Texas.
John A Eisenberg, assistant lawyer normal for nationwide safety, mentioned Lee sought to “transmit delicate nationwide protection info to Russia” relating to the operation of the M1A2 Abrams – the primary battle tank utilized by the US Military.
In June, Lee is claimed to have gone on-line and provided help to Russia in change for Russian citizenship. Within the alleged messages, Lee, who holds a top-secret safety clearance, allegedly “transmitted export-controlled technical info” in regards to the M1A2’s operation and vulnerabilities.
“The USA just isn’t proud of me for making an attempt to reveal their weaknesses,” Lee reportedly mentioned. “At this level, I’d even volunteer to help the Russian Federation once I’m there in any method,” he added.
Roman Rozhavsky, assistant director of the FBI’s counterintelligence division, mentioned Lee then shared a reminiscence card containing paperwork and details about the tank and different US navy operations throughout an in-person assembly in July with somebody he believed to be a Russian intelligence officer.
“Immediately’s arrest is a message to anybody occupied with betraying the US – particularly service members who’ve sworn to guard our homeland,” Rozhavsky mentioned.
The paperwork contained technical knowledge Lee was not authorised to offer, with some marked “Managed Unclassified Data”, in response to prosecutors.
“All through the assembly, Lee acknowledged that the knowledge on the SD card was delicate and sure categorised,” prosecutors mentioned.
Lee can be alleged to have tried to offer the Russian authorities with a bit of {hardware} from the M1A2 Abrams tank at a July 31 assembly at a storage unit in El Paso, Texas.
“After doing so, Lee despatched a message to the person he believed to be a consultant of the Russian authorities stating, ‘Mission achieved’,” in response to prosecutors.
