Internet divided as ex-NSA worker gets 21 years for selling classified information to 'Russian agent'

DENVER, COLORADO: Jareh Sebastian Dalke, a former employee of the National Security Agency (NSA), received a hefty sentence of more than 21 years in prison on Monday, April 29, for attempting to sell classified material to a person who he believed was a Russian agent.

However, the recipient turned out to be an undercover FBI agent, leading to Dalke's swift arrest.

Espionage scheme unveiled

Dalke, a 32-year-old Colorado Springs resident and an Army veteran, worked as an information systems security designer at the NSA.

His illicit activities came to light when he confessed to using an encrypted email account between August and September of 2022 to transmit excerpts of three documents marked as Top Secret//Sensitive Compartmented Information to an individual he believed was a Russian official.

In exchange for this information, Dalke received $16,499 in cryptocurrency and requested an additional $85,000 for more classified secrets.

In a damning revelation during his sentencing hearing, Dalke's intentions were laid bare. He told the undercover FBI agent that the transmitted material would be valuable to Russia and even hinted at his willingness to provide more US secrets in the future.

His actions culminated in a rendezvous at Union Station in Denver on September 28, 2023, where he transferred four classified files and a letter, written in Russian, to the supposed Russian agent.

“My friends!” Dalke wrote in the letter. “I am very happy to finally provide this information to you … I look forward to our friendship and shared benefit. Please let me know if there are desired documents to find and I will try when I return to my main office.” 

During the sentencing, US District Judge Raymond Moore minced no words, denouncing Dalke's actions as blatant betrayal bordering on treason.

“This was blatant. It was brazen and, in my mind, it was deliberate. It was a betrayal, and it was as close to treasonous as you can get,” Moore said, according to the Associated Press.  

Attorney General Merrick Garland echoed the judge's sentiment.

“This defendant, who had sworn an oath to defend our country, believed he was selling classified national security information to a Russian agent, when in fact, he was outing himself to the FBI,” Garland said in a statement.

“This sentence demonstrates that those who seek to betray our country will be held accountable for their crimes,” he added.

The severity of Dalke's sentence reflects the gravity of his actions. The documents he attempted to sell included a threat assessment of a foreign country's military capabilities, information about US defense capabilities, and details of a US cryptographic program, all marked as classified.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek stressed the exceptionally grave danger these disclosures posed to national security.

“He knew that the disclosure of those documents was expected to cause exceptionally grave danger to the national security of the United States,” Michalek said.

Dalke's defense attempted to mitigate his sentence by citing his history of traumatic experiences, including a traumatic brain injury, multiple suicide attempts, and childhood trauma. However, Judge Moore was skeptical, noting the absence of substantial evidence to support these claims.

Throughout the proceedings, Dalke maintained a demeanor of remorse, claiming he was not motivated by ideology or financial gain.

Per court records, Dalke, who had a brief stint at the NSA lasting about a month, confided in the undercover FBI agent about his desire to instigate change, citing the United States' impact on global affairs and a desire for transformation.

Additionally, he disclosed a significant debt of $237,000. Moreover, Dalke purportedly justified his collaboration with Russia based on his ancestral ties to the country. Nonetheless, his assertions did little to sway the court's judgment.

Social media reactions

Social media erupted with reactions after Dalke was sentenced to more than 21 years in prison, with opinions ranging from calls for harsher punishment to questions about the legality of the undercover operation.

"Not long enough," one posted on X.

"Did he have those documents in his open garage by any chance?" another quipped, referring to the discovery of classified documents in President Joe Biden's Delaware home.

"Isn't that entrapment?" someone else asked.

"How is this legal lol," another wondered.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.