The FBI and the NCIS connected Saturday arrested a US Navy Engineer and his woman for attempting to merchantability atomic secrets to a 'foreign party'
Jonathan Toebbe, a US Navy atomic engineer, and his woman Diana Toebbe were apprehended by national authorities for allegedly trading confidential subject information. The mates was busted portion making what would person been the 3rd dead-drop successful Jefferson County, West Virginia. Toebbe is said to person received a full of $100,000 worthy of Monero (XMR) from an undercover FBI cause who posed arsenic a typical of a overseas powerfulness looking to bargain subject secrets.
An technologist moving nether the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, Toebbe had been selling accusation connected the plan of nuclear-powered warships to the 'foreign power' for astir a year. His presumption arsenic a atomic technologist successful the Navy earned him nationalist information clearance done the US Department of Defense, which allowed him to get his hands connected confidential information.
He archetypal sent restricted accusation to a overseas authorities successful April past year. The atomic technologist utilized encrypted email to marque arrangements with the different party, whom helium believed represented a overseas country. The speech went connected for months earlier they settled connected a woody that would spot him person Monero for the accusation helium stole.
Toebbe received the archetypal payment, $10,000 successful cryptocurrency, which was meant to cement the narration astatine the opening of June. He past delivered an SD paper hidden successful a sandwich astatine a pre-arranged determination successful West Virginia with his woman arsenic a lookout connected 26 June. He past sent the decryption cardinal for the SD card, which had accusation connected submarine atomic reactors, via email aft receiving a 2nd $20,000 outgo successful crypto.
Two months later, helium made a akin driblet but this clip successful Eastern Virginia. He utilized a chewing gum bundle to fell the SD card, and aft sending the decryption key, helium got paid $70,000. Oblivious that the full speech had been a setup, Toebbe went connected to present the 3rd 'package' connected Saturday but was arrested astatine the determination by FBI agents who had been trailing him. The agents reportedly tracked Toebbe and identified him astatine the archetypal 2 dormant drops.
It is believed the mates resorted to utilizing the privacy-oriented Monero for the transaction due to the fact that of its precocious level of anonymity. The coin is known to beryllium astir intolerable to hint arsenic its addresses aren't publically disposable but to the parties progressive successful the transaction. Its usage successful transgression activities has seen antithetic departments successful the authorities declaration experts to physique tools and systems that tin way transactions involving the cryptocurrency.
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