A civilian Air Force employee was charged with sharing classified secrets with a woman he met on a foreign dating site.
David Franklin Slater, 63, a retired lieutenant colonel from the U.S. Army, was arrested in Nebraska on Saturday on a three-count federal indictment. He was caught sending messages from around August 2021 to April 2022, revealing classified information about the war in Ukraine to a woman claiming to live in Ukraine.
“Certain responsibilities are incumbent to individuals with access to Top Secret information. The allegations against Mr. Slater challenge whether he betrayed those responsibilities,” U.S. Attorney Susan Lehr for the District of Nebraska announced. “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.”
The woman labeled the co-conspirator frequently requested that Slater send her “sensitive, non-public, closely held and classified” information, according to the Department of Justice.
The information Slater revealed related to Russian military capabilities, Ukrainian military targets, NATO military capabilities, and apparently secret visits of U.S. officials to Ukraine, among other details. The indictment contained a slew of examples.
“Dear, what is shown on the screens in the special room?? It is very interesting,” a message sent on or around March 11, 2022, read.
“Sweet Dave, the supply of weapons is completely classified, which is great!” another in April read.
“My sweet Dave, thanks for the valuable information, it’s great that two officials from the USA are going to Kyiv,” another the same month read.
In some messages, she referred to Slater affectionately as “my secret agent.”
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“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,” she said in a March 23, 2022, message.
If convicted, Slater faces up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $750,000.