Former National Security Agency (NSA) employee Jareh Sebastian Dalke, 31, pleaded guilty to six counts of attempting to transmit national defense information to a foreign government. Dalke, a resident of Colorado Springs, admitted to transmitting classified files to an undercover FBI agent with the intent to benefit Russia and harm the United States. He used an encrypted email account to send excerpts of three classified documents and requested $85,000 in exchange for the information.
Dalke, who faced potential charges under the Espionage Act, arranged to transfer additional information to the supposed Russian agent at Denver’s Union Station. However, moments after sending the files on September 28, 2022, he was arrested by the FBI. Prosecutors have recommended a prison sentence of 262 months, but the final decision rests with a federal judge. Dalke is scheduled to be sentenced on April 26.
Dalke, a former state-certified Colorado law enforcement officer who served with the Colorado Rangers, had previously filed for bankruptcy in 2017. Investigators noted that he expressed disillusionment with the U.S. and its treatment of military service members. He reached out to Russia after discovering his familial ties to the country.
