Lee is accused of going surfing and providing to help Russian authorities in alternate for Russian citizenship.
An energetic responsibility soldier has been charged with searching for to go delicate details about america Military’s fundamental 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 overseas adversary and tried export of managed technical information and not using a license”, the Justice Division mentioned in a press release on Wednesday.
Lee, a 22-year-old soldier stationed at Fort Bliss in Texas, has but to enter a plea within the fees, filed on the US District Court docket for the Western District of Texas.
John A Eisenberg, assistant lawyer basic for nationwide safety, mentioned Lee sought to “transmit delicate nationwide protection info to Russia” relating to the operation of the M1A2 Abrams – the principle battle tank utilized by the US Military.
In June, Lee is claimed to have gone on-line and provided help to Russia in alternate for Russian citizenship. Within the alleged messages, Lee, who holds a top-secret safety clearance, allegedly “transmitted export-controlled technical info” concerning the M1A2’s operation and vulnerabilities.
“The USA just isn’t proud of me for attempting to show their weaknesses,” Lee reportedly mentioned. “At this level, I’d even volunteer to help the Russian Federation after I’m there in any approach,” 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.
“At present’s arrest is a message to anybody excited about betraying the US – particularly service members who’ve sworn to guard our homeland,” Rozhavsky mentioned.
The paperwork contained technical information Lee was not authorised to supply, with some marked “Managed Unclassified Info”, in line with prosecutors.
“All through the assembly, Lee acknowledged that the knowledge on the SD card was delicate and sure categorized,” prosecutors mentioned.
Lee can also be alleged to have tried to supply 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 line with prosecutors.
