WASHINGTON (AP), A Navy nuclear engineer who had access to military secrets was charged with trying to give information about the design and construction of American nuclear-powered subs to an individual he believed was a representative from a foreign country, but turned out to actually be an FBI agent.
The government filed a criminal complaint against Jonathan Toebbe alleging that he sold information over the past year to a contact who he believed represented foreign powers. The court documents did not mention the country.
According to the department, Toebbe, 42 years old, was arrested in West Virginia Saturday with his wife Diana, 45, after placing a removable memory chip at a prearranged Jefferson County dead drop.
It was not immediately clear if either Toebbe employed a lawyer. The Toebbes hail from Annapolis, Maryland.
According to the FBI, the scheme started in April 2020 when Jonathan Toebbe, a U.S. employee who had been working in 2012, sent a package of Navy documents and stated that he was interested selling operation manuals and performance reports.
According to authorities, he also gave instructions on how to continue the furtive relationship. He sent a letter saying: I am sorry for my poor translation into your language. This letter should be sent to your military intelligence agency. This information is of great benefit to your country, I believe. This isn't a hoax.
The package was delivered to the FBI's foreign office last December with a return address in Pittsburgh. This led to months of undercover operations in which an agent pretending to be a representative of the foreign country offered to pay thousands in cryptocurrency for the information Toebbe was providing.
According to the FBI, Toebbe received $10,000 in cryptocurrency from an undercover agent in June. He described it as a sign that he had good faith and trusted Toebbe.
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Authorities claim that the FBI witnessed the Toebbes arrive at the agreed-upon exchange locations on multiple occasions. They concealed an SD card in two pieces of bread, one on each side of a peanut butter sandwich, and another in a chewing gum packet.
The complaint claims violations of the Atomic Energy Act. This makes it a crime for information to be disclosed about atomic weapons and nuclear materials in the purpose of harming the United States.
The Toebbes will make their first court appearance Tuesday in Martinsburg (West Virginia).
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