A tale of love, lies, and legal oversights unfolded as a U.S. Air Force employee sent sensitive information to someone who claimed to be a woman living halfway across the globe from him.
The man was arrested on Saturday for allegedly disclosing sensitive national defense information, including details related to Russia’s war with Ukraine, on a foreign dating platform.
A retired Army lieutenant colonel, David most recently worked as a civilian Air Force employee assigned to United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), which is responsible for nuclear deterrence and nuclear command and control. David had top security clearance when he found the online match, who was identified as a co-conspirator in official documents.
Image credits:Bro Takes Photos/Unsplash
David attended top secret briefings on Russia’s war against Ukraine while his digitalromance seemingly bloomedon the dating app with the co-conspirator. The pair began talking sometime in February 2022 and continued exchanging texts until around April.
“Dear, what is shown on the screens in the special room?? It is very interesting,”readone message to David from March 2022.
“Beloved Dave, do NATO and Biden have a secret plan to help us?” Dave was asked in another message.
The co-conspirator pushed David to relay sensitive information, calling him “my secret informant.”
“Dave, it’s great that you get information about [Specified Country 1] first. I hope you will tell me right away? You are my secret agent. With love,” said one message.
Another March 2022 message to David read, “American Intelligence says that already 100% of Russian troops are located on the territory of Ukraine. Do you think this information can be trusted?”
“How were your meetings? Successfully?” also appeared in the co-conspirator’s messages to David. A separate message said, “You have a job in the Operations Center today, I remember, I’m sure there is a lot of interesting news there?”
The match on the dating app claimed to be a woman living in Ukraine, and they exchanged texts with David for about two months
Image credits:Levi Meir Clancy/Unsplash
David had also allegedly informed the purported Ukrainian woman about U.S. officials planning a trip to Kyiv around mid-April 2022. Lo and behold, the message wound up aligning with the visit of Sen. Steve Daines and Rep. Victoria Spartz to Ukraine, according to theNew York Post.
“My sweet Dave, thanks for thevaluable information, it’s great that two officials from the USA are going to Kyiv,” the match on the dating app said.
The trail of messages between David and the mystery match also included details about weapon shipments to Ukraine and other classified National Defense Information (NDI), officials said.
The match on the dating app regularly asked David “to provide her with sensitive, non-public, closely held and classified NDI and called Slater in their messages her ‘secret informant love’ and her ‘secret agent.’ In response to these requests, Slater indeed provided classified NDI to her, including regarding military targets and Russian military capabilities relating to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” read a Mondaystatementfrom the U.S. Department of Justice.
Quoted text messages supported the claim, including one from the co-conspirator to David that said, “It’s great that you get information about [Specified Country 1] first. I hope you will tell me right away? You are my secret agent. With love.”
“Sweet Dave, the supply of weapons is completely classified, which is great!” read another message to David.
One message also hints at an unpleasant “surprise” for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Dave, I hope tomorrow NATO will prepare a very unpleasant ‘surprise’ for Putin! Will you tell me?” said thematch from the dating app.
The trail of messages between David and the mystery woman on the dating app also included details about weapon shipments to Ukraine
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David, who was arrested Saturday, is facing charges of conspiring to transmit and transmitting classified information relating to the NDI. He could spend 10 years in prison if convicted.
“Certain responsibilities are incumbent to individuals with access to Top Secret information. The allegations against Mr. Slater challenge whether he betrayed those responsibilities,” said U.S. Attorney Susan Lehr for the District of Nebraska. “We look forward to continuing our work with the FBI and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations to ensure the safety of our country.”
Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel of the FBI Omaha Field Office spoke about how the country is put at risk when people violate the trust put in them.
People online were baffled at how the retired Army lieutenant colonel may have gotten cat-fished
Lei RV
Renan Duarte
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