(USNewsBreak.com) – Trust is an essential trait for military servicemen and women. When someone in a sensitive position misuses that trust, it can lead to serious criminal charges or even threaten national security. One Annapolis, Maryland, couple now faces the serious consequences associated with that reality after they reportedly attempted to cash in on top-secret data.
On October 10, the Department of Justice (DOJ) arrested Jonathan and Diana Toebbe for allegedly selling information about US nuclear submarine technology to someone they believed was a foreign government agent.
The U.S. Department of Justice said the couple thought they were selling secret information to someone representing a foreign power, but the buyer turned out to be an undercover FBI agent.https://t.co/2GBiMd1LYD
— WTHR.com (@WTHRcom) October 11, 2021
Agents first became suspicious about the husband and wife duo back on April 1, 2020, after Jonathan, a nuclear engineer with active security clearance to access restricted data, sent out a packet to the supposed foreign entity. It contained an offer to sell stolen US Navy secrets and a handful of sample data.
The FBI intercepted the clandestine letter and immediately launched an investigation, working in tandem with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Together, they communicated with the Toebbes’. Undercover agents convinced the couple to drop additional secrets at various locations, paying them in cash for their trouble while gathering information.
On October 9, the Toebbes set out to make a data drop they probably thought would be their last. Instead of cashing out and getting away scot-free, they were immediately arrested by FBI agents and charged with violating the Atomic Energy Act. The modern-day Bonnie and Clyde first appeared in court on October 12, 2021.
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