A Colorado Springs man has pleaded guilty to six federal counts of attempted espionage after he was caught trying to share secrets to a man he thought was a foreign agent.
As 11 News first reported last year, while briefly employed by the National Security Agency (NSA), Jareh Dalke began communicating with an individual he believed was working for the Russian government.
“Dalke told that individual that he had taken highly sensitive information relating to foreign targeting of U.S. systems and information on U.S. cyber operations, among other topics,” the Department of Justice said in announcing Dalke’s arrest last fall.
The DOJ said Dalke first made contact in late July, and over the next two months, used an encrypted email account to transmit excerpts of three classified documents he had obtained during his employment with the NSA.
He sent the excerpts to prove he had the legitimate documents, the department added.
One excerpt was classified at the Secret level, and two excerpts were classified at the Top Secret level,” the DOJ said.
Unbeknownst to Dalke, he was actually talking to an undercover FBI agent.
Dalke initially pleaded not guilty to all charges before changing his plea to guilty Wednesday. He will be sentenced on April 26, 2024, and faces up to life in prison.
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