Nuclear Engineer and his Wife Sentenced for Trying to Sell Nuclear Warship Design Secrets

Jonathan Toebbe, feeble 43, an employee of the Division of the Navy who served as a nuclear engineer modified into arrested after searching for to promote defense power secrets and tactics, connected to the comprise of U.S. nuclear warships, to a foreign government.

Diana Toebbe, his 46-yr-pale wife, modified into furthermore sentenced to 21 years in penitentiary. Jonathan Toebbe obtained a penitentiary time interval of greater than 19 years.

Reports assert he modified into in possession of a staunch national security clearance from the Division of Protection, which allowed him opt up admission to to “Restricted Data” as outlined by the Atomic Vitality Act.

He furthermore had opt up admission to to recordsdata regarding naval nuclear propulsion including recordsdata connected to defense power-sensitive comprise aspects, running parameters, and performance traits of the reactors for nuclear-powered warships.

“Naval nuclear engineer Jonathan Toebbe modified into entrusted with our nation’s severe secrets and tactics and, alongside with his wife Diana Toebbe, effect the safety of our nation at possibility for financial comprise,” mentioned U.S. Prison legitimate Cindy Chung.

“Their severe criminal behavior betrayed and endangered the Division of the Navy’s steady and selfless carrier participants. The seriousness of the offense, in this case, can’t be overstated.”

Encrypted Emails and Undercover Agent

Toebbe sent a equipment with a sample of restricted recordsdata and instructions for forming a covert relationship to aquire extra restricted recordsdata from a foreign government in April 2020. The object’s return tackle modified into listed as Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

He started corresponding via encrypted electronic mail with an particular particular person he believed to be a foreign government representative. The actual particular person modified into indubitably an undercover FBI agent.

For several months, Toebbe and the client agreed to the sale of the restricted recordsdata in commerce for thousands of greenbacks in cryptocurrency.

The fable states that the undercover agent made a “appropriate religion” payment of $10,000 in cryptocurrency to Toebbe on June 8, 2021. Almost at the moment later, on June 26, Toebbe utilized a dreary tumble by handing over an SD card that held defense power-sensitive comprise aspects for submarine nuclear reactors and modified into encased in a half of-peanut butter sandwich to a selected effect.

The undercover agent sent Toebbe a $20,000 cryptocurrency payment. In return, Toebbe emailed the undercover agent a decryption key for the SD Card. A review of the SD card printed that it contained Restricted Data connected to submarine nuclear reactors.

On August 28, Toebbe dropped yet every other SD card in eastern Virginia, this time hiding it inner a equipment of chewing gum.

The FBI obtained the card’s decryption key after paying Toebbe $70,000 in cryptocurrency. It too incorporated Restricted Data concerning nuclear submarine reactors

“The FBI arrested Toebbe and his wife on Oct. 9, after he positioned yet yet every other SD card at a pre-organized “dreary tumble” at the 2d effect in West Virginia”, a Division of Justice press release.

Sentenced to Prison

Toebbe entered a guilty plea to rely one amongst the indictments, which carries a imaginable statutory penalty of as a lot as existence in penitentiary, a realizing as a lot as $100,000, and a time interval of supervised release no longer to exceed 5 years, for conspiracy to announce restricted recordsdata.

Reports assert he’ll spend at the very least 151 months, or 12 and half of years, in federal penitentiary as per his plea agreement.

“The FBI is relentless in its efforts to uncover other folks that reflect about to comprise our nation effort by concentrating on our most helpful secrets and tactics,” mentioned Particular Agent in Tag Mike Nordwall of the FBI’s Pittsburgh Enviornment Place of job.

“This case is an example of the arduous work and diligence of the FBI and our federal partners to neutralize and abet accountable these of us that threaten our national security.”

“The overarching mission of the Naval Criminal Investigative Provider (NCIS) is to prevent terrorism, lop benefit crime and protect secrets and tactics, with a extremely excessive precedence on keeping mandatory recordsdata corresponding to the comprise and operation of nuclear-powered warships,” mentioned Particular Agent in Tag Michelle Kramer of the NCIS Place of job of Particular Initiatives.

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