Latest news with #Laatsch
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
DOD employee tried to leak classified information, prosecutors say
'I do not agree or align with the values of this administration and intend to act to support the values that the United States at one time stood for,' Laatsch wrote in one message, according to an FBI affidavit. 'To this end, I am willing to share classified information that I have access to, which are completed intelligence products, some unprocessed intelligence, and other assorted classified documentation.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up U.S. officials were tipped off to Laatsch's outreach in March, and an FBI agent posing as a foreign official communicated with Laatsch over several weeks, arranging for him to drop off classified materials in a park in Arlington County, Virginia, just outside Washington, according to court records. Advertisement Sue J. Bai, the head of the Justice Department's National Security Division, called Laatsch's alleged offense 'a profound betrayal of the American people and a direct threat to our national security.' 'When someone entrusted with access to classified information attempts to provide it to a foreign government, it jeopardizes our intelligence capabilities, our military advantage and the safety of our nation,' Bai said in a statement Friday. Advertisement Dressed in a gray T-shirt and dark blue sweatpants, Laatsch made a brief initial appearance Friday afternoon in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon D. Kromberg said that the alleged offense is punishable by a maximum sentence of death or life in prison but that the Justice Department had not yet determined whether Laatsch met the criteria for the death penalty. Whitney Minter, a public defender for Laatsch, said he had no criminal record and indicated he would be seeking bail pending trial. A federal magistrate scheduled a hearing for Wednesday on whether to grant pretrial release. In the meantime, Laatsch is being held in jail. Laatsch, of Alexandria, joined the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2019 and had a top-secret security clearance. He worked with the agency's Insider Threat Division, helping officials monitor the computer activities of people under investigation, according to court records. He graduated in 2018 from Florida Polytechnic University with a degree in cybersecurity. Surveillance video of Laatsch's workstation at a Defense Intelligence Agency facility in the Washington area showed how the IT specialist accessed classified information on his screen, transcribed it onto a notepad, then placed the handwritten pages in his socks or lunchbox before leaving work for the day, according to the FBI affidavit. Prosecutors said that on May 1, after weeks of discussions, Laatsch dropped off a thumb drive at an Arlington County park with nine typed documents replicating the classified records he had accessed. The FBI retrieved the drive, and the agencies where those records originated said that eight of them were designated top secret, one of which 'reflected sensitive methods of intelligence collection, intelligence related to foreign military exercises, and analysis of the impact of those military exercises.' Advertisement When the undercover FBI agent asked what Laatsch wanted in exchange, he replied that he was seeking 'citizenship for your country,' the affidavit says. He did not rule out getting paid for the classified materials, prosecutors said. 'Although he said he was 'not opposed to other compensation,' he was not in a position where he needed to seek 'material compensation,'' according to a court filing. 'I've given a lot of thought to this before any outreach, and despite the risks, the calculus has not changed,' Laatsch wrote in a mid-April message quoted in the charging documents. 'I do not see the trajectory of things changing, and do not think it is appropriate or right to do nothing when I am in this position.' A second document drop was planned for Thursday, when Laatsch was arrested, court records state. 'It will not be easy for them, for example, to open a case on me without my knowledge since my permissions to see that would need to be changed and I'd notice,' he told the undercover FBI agent in one message quoted in the charging documents, boasting that he knew how to avoid the 'stupid mistakes' that had bedeviled other U.S. employees under investigation.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Government employee held after attempt to share classified information with foreign country
A government employee in Virginia accused of attempting to share classified information with a foreign country was held pending a detention hearing, and could face up to life in prison, or even death, depending on the details of the case brought against him, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Virginia-based Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick ordered that 28-year-old Nathan Laatsch be held pending a detention hearing scheduled for June 4. Laatsch allegedly attempted to transmit classified national defense information or documents to a foreign government. Depending on the details of the case, Laatsch faces "any term or years, or life…or even death," according to DOJ prosecutor Gordon Kromberg. Us It Specialist Arrested After Attempting To Share Classified Information With Foreign Government: Doj Laatsch, an IT specialist employed by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) since 2019, appeared in court on Friday wearing street clothes, which were presumably the same clothes he wore when he was arrested the day before. Read On The Fox News App He was arrested after the FBI received a tip in March that someone was willing to provide classified information to a friendly foreign government. Laatsch was a civilian employee in the DIA's Insider Threat Division and held a top-secret security clearance, according to the DOJ. Former Us Army Intelligence Analyst Sentenced For Selling Sensitive Documents To Chinese National An email to the FBI said that the person — later identified as Laatsch — didn't "agree or align with the values" of the Trump administration and would be willing to share classified information that he could access, including "completed intelligence products, some unprocessed intelligence, and other assorted classified documentation." Laatsch communicated with an FBI agent, whom he believed to be a foreign government official, multiple times and would confirm that he was ready to share classified information that he transcribed onto a notepad at his desk, the DOJ said. He allegedly exfiltrated the information from his workspace multiple times over a three-day period in preparation. The FBI set up an operation at a northern Virginia park where Laatsch was to deposit classified information "for the foreign government to retrieve," according to the DOJ. He was observed by the FBI on or around May 1 depositing an item at the specified location. Pentagon Leaker Jack Teixeira Receives 15 Years For Secrets Leak Once he left, the DOJ said FBI agents retrieved a thumb drive from the area found to contain a message from Laatsch and multiple typed documents with information portion-marked for Secret or Top-Secret levels. His message allegedly indicated that he was sharing "a decent sample size" of classified information to demonstrate the types of things he has access to. On May 7, after Laatsch learned that the thumb drive had been retrieved, he allegedly sent a message to the undercover agent appearing to say that he was seeking something in exchange for providing the information. The following day, he specified that he was interested in "citizenship for your country" because he didn't expect things in America "to improve in the long term," the DOJ said. He also allegedly said he was "not opposed to other compensation," but not in a place where he needed "material compensation." Laatsch was told on May 14 by the FBI agent that the "foreign government" was ready for additional classified information. Between May 15 and May 27, he transcribed more information and began to remove it from the building by folding the notes and hiding them in his clothing. On Thursday, Laatsch arrived at a prearranged location in northern Virginia to drop the information off to the "foreign country." He was arrested once the FBI received the documents. Fox News Digital's Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this article source: Government employee held after attempt to share classified information with foreign country
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
Techie working with the US government arrested for spying, here's how FBI 'trapped' him
The US government has arrested an IT specialist employed by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) for allegedly attempting to transmit national defense information to a foreign government. The arrest happened after the FBI received a tip that an individual offered to provide classified information to a 'friendly foreign government.' According to federal prosecutors, Nathan Vilas Laatsch , 28 — who held a Top Secret security clearance and worked in the DIA's Insider Threat Division since 2019 — repeatedly transcribed classified intelligence from his secure workstation and attempted to pass it to an undercover FBI agent posing as a foreign government official. What the court documents reveal Court documents reveal that Laatsch first reached out to the foreign government via an email in March 2025, expressing his willingness to share classified material because he did not "agree or align with the values of this administration." In the email, he wrote that he was 'willing to share classified information' that he had access to, including 'completed intelligence products, some unprocessed intelligence, and other assorted classified documentation.' On May 1, Laatsch allegedly left a thumb drive in a northern Virginia park, which the FBI retrieved later. Nathan Vilas Laatsch provided classified information A press release by the Department of Justice (DOJ) said that the thumb drive contained Secret and Top Secret materials along with a message offering 'a decent sample size' of intelligence products. He later expressed interest in receiving foreign citizenship in exchange for continuing to provide classified information. 'Because he did not 'expect[] things here to improve in the long term,' the release stated. Laatsch said that he was 'not opposed to other compensation,' and was not in a position where he needed to seek 'material compensation.' Between May 15 and May 27, Laatsch reportedly transcribed more intelligence, concealed it in his clothing, and attempted a second dead drop at a prearranged location. He was arrested on May 29 after the FBI took possession of the documents. Laatsch is expected to appear in federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia on Friday. The arrest was announced by top officials from the Justice Department, FBI, and U.S. Air Force. The FBI Washington Field Office is leading the investigation with assistance from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the DIA. Laatsch is charged with attempting to transmit national defense information under the Espionage Act.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Defense Intelligence Agency IT Specialist arrested for allegedly sharing classified information
( — A U.S. Government Employee has been arrested for attempting to provide classified information to a foreign government. The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs stated that an IT specialist who was employed by the Defense Intelligence Agency was arrested on Thursday for attempting to transmit national defense information to an officer or agent of a foreign government. The suspect has been identified as Nathan Vilas Laatsch, 28, of Alexandria, Virginia. He was arrested in northern Virginia and is set to make his initial court appearance in the Eastern District of Virginia on Friday, according to the U.S. DOJ. 'This case underscores the persistent risk of insider threats,' said Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel on X. 'The FBI remains steadfast in protecting our national security and thanks our law enforcement partners for their critical support.' Rite Aid Thrifty Ice Cream brand faces closure amid bankruptcy According to court documents, Laatsch became a civilian employee of the DIA in 2019, where he worked with the Insider Threat Division and held Top Secret security clearance. In March, officials stated that the Federal Bureau of Investigation started a probe after getting a tip that an individual — now known as Laatsch — offered to provide classified information to friendly foreign government agencies. In that email, DOJ said that the sender wrote that he did not 'agree or align with the values of this administration' and was then 'willing to share classified information' that the sender had access to, which also included 'completed intelligence products, some unprocessed intelligence, and other assorted classified documentation.' After many conversations with the FBI agents whom Laatsch allegedly believed to be a representative of the foreign government, he began to transcribe classified information to a notepad at his desk, and over about three days, he dropped the information from his workspace. San Joaquin County DA secured guilty plea for sex crime with firearm Authorities said Laatsch then confirmed to the FBI agent that he was prepared to transmit the information. Just a little after, the FBI implemented an operation at a public park in northern Virginia, and he would drop the classified information for the foreign government to get. Around May 1, FBI surveillance caught Laatsch going to the specific location and depositing an item, stated the DOJ. After he left, crews were able to get the item, which was a thumb drive, and later found that it had contained a message from Laatsch along with multiple typed documents. Each piece of information that was typed had a portion marked up to the Secret or Top Secret level, the DOJ said. The messages showed that Laatsch had chosen to include 'a decent sample size' of information that was classified to 'decently demonstrate the range of types of products' to which he had access. After the confirmation was received that the thumb drive had been received, on May 7, Laatsch allegedly sent a message to the FBI agent, which included that Laatsch wanted something in return for the continuation of getting information. The DOJ officials stated that the next day, Laatsch specified that he wanted a 'citizenship for your country' because he did not 'expect things here to improve in the long term.' He also said he was 'not opposed to other compensation,' since he was not in a position where he needed to get 'material compensation.' On May 14, the FBI agent advised Laatsch that it was time to get more classified information, and between May 15 and May 27, he tried again and started to transcribe multiple pages of notes while logged into his classified workstation. He folded the notes and hid the information in his clothes, according to the FBI. On May 29, Laatsch arrived at the location that was pre-discussed in northern Virginia. He was arrested when the FBI received the documents. At this time, the FBI Washington Field Office is investigating this case, with assistance from the U.S. Air Force OIS. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Nathan Vilas Laatsch: US govt employee arrested for attempting to leak classified info to a foreign government
Nathan Vilas Laatsch, a 28-year-old Alexandria resident, has been arrested for allegedly attempting to provide classified information to a foreign government. Laatsch has worked as a civilian employee for the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) since 2019. He was assigned to the agency's Insider Threat Division and held a Top Secret security clearance. According to federal officials, Laatsch came under scrutiny in March 2025, when he allegedly offered to share classified materials with a foreign government, expressing discontent with the current US administration's values. The materials he allegedly intended to share included 'completed intelligence products, some unprocessed intelligence, and other assorted classified documentation,' according to the Department of Justice. The FBI launched an investigation after receiving a tip about a potential leak. Undercover agents posed as representatives of the foreign government during a operation. 'After multiple communications with an FBI agent — who Laatsch allegedly believed to be an official of the foreign government — Laatsch began transcribing classified information to a notepad at his desk and, over the course of approximately three days, repeatedly exfiltrated the information from his workspace. Laatsch subsequently confirmed to the FBI agent that he was prepared to transmit the information,' a press release from the Department of Justice stated. "FBI implemented an operation at a public park in northern Virginia, where Laatsch believed he would deposit the classified information for the foreign government to retrieve. On or about May 1, 2025, FBI surveillance observed Laatsch proceed to the specified location and deposit an item. Following Laatsch's departure, the FBI retrieved the item, which was a thumb drive later found to contain a message from Laatsch and multiple typed documents, each containing information that was portion-marked up to the Secret or Top Secret levels." On May 7, Laatsch reportedly sent a message indicating he expected something in return for continuing to supply classified information. The following day, he clarified that he was seeking citizenship in the foreign country. On May 29, Laatsch allegedly attempted to transmit additional classified documents at another prearranged drop-off site in northern Virginia. He was arrested at the scene by FBI agents shortly after handing over the materials. He is now facing serious federal charges related to the attempted transmission of classified national defense information to a foreign entity.
