A cyber specialist, who briefly served at the top-secret US National Security Agency (NSA), has been sentenced to over 21 years in prison for attempting to spy for Russia, as per the Justice Department.
Jareh Sebastian Dalke, aged 32, worked at the NSA for less than four weeks before abruptly resigning in June 2022, citing family issues.
During his brief tenure, Dalke printed out classified documents and, upon leaving, tried to sell them for $85,000 to an individual he believed was a Russian agent, according to court records.
Unbeknownst to him, he was actually communicating with an undercover FBI agent.
Dalke, from Colorado Springs, Colorado, pleaded guilty in October in US District Court to six counts of trying to transmit classified national defense information to a foreign government agent.
Attorney General Merrick Garland stated, “This defendant, who had sworn an oath to defend our country, believed he was selling classified national security information to a Russian agent, when in fact, he was outing himself to the FBI.”
“This sentence demonstrates that those who seek to betray our country will be held accountable for their crimes.”
