Ukrainian Defense Ministry I.T. officer took out loans and wanted to sell classified information to russia

A 32-year-old information security developer at the National Security Agency Jareh Sebastian Dalke has received a 22-year prison sentence for attempting to sell secret information to a "Russian spy."

The "Russian spy" turned out to be an FBI agent, as reported by Gizmodo.

FBI Set-Up

The guy started working at the National Security Agency in 2022.

The National Security Agency engages in cryptologic intelligence. It is part of the US Department of Defense and is responsible for collecting and analyzing foreign intelligence information and for protecting the information systems and computer networks of the US government.

That same year, a "Russian spy" approached him. According to the Department of Justice, on August 26, 2022, Dalke requested $85,000 for the secret information.

Dalke sent document fragments through encrypted email. After that, he asked for crypto to be sent to him - through the Kraken crypto exchange and in his real name.

He also printed three secret documents from his work account that he intended to pass on. Naturally, his real name could also be seen in the internal system of the National Security Agency. This allowed for his identification without much effort.

American Debts and Russian Blood

The specialist confessed to his guilt and revealed that he had significant debts. Court documents showed that Dalke declared bankruptcy back in 2017. At that time, he owed about $90,000 to various creditors, including $30,000 in student loans.

Typically, individuals with large debts are not granted high-level security clearances. This makes them more prone to risky actions.

However, considering the fact that last year the average American had $21,800 in personal debts excluding mortgages, it may be increasingly challenging to find employees for such specific tasks.

But perhaps it's not just about the money. Dalke admitted in court that he had Russian roots. And working for intelligence agencies intrigued him because of his "interest in secrets and desire to change something."