Retired US Air Force Employee Pleads Guilty for Sharing Military Secrets on a Dating App

A former U.S. Air Force employee has pleaded guilty to charges of sharing classified military information about Russia’s war in Ukraine through a dating application, according to federal court documents. 

David Franklin Slater, who worked as a civilian employee at the United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), admitted to transmitting SECRET-level national defense information to an individual claiming to be a Ukrainian woman between February and April 2022.

Key Takeaways
1. Retired Air Force Lt. Colonel David Slater pleaded guilty to sharing TOP SECRET military intelligence from U.S. Strategic Command via dating app.
2. Slater transmitted classified Russia-Ukraine war information to someone posing as a Ukrainian woman who requested NATO plans and weapon supply details.
3. Faced three federal counts under 18 U.S.C. § 793 for disclosing SECRET/NOFORN-marked national defense information.
4. Slater deliberately violated security protocols protecting sensitive military data.

Military Intelligence Leaked Via Dating App Scam

The case reveals how foreign actors exploited online dating platforms to extract sensitive information from military personnel. 

Co-Conspirator 1, who claimed to be a Ukrainian woman, systematically requested classified information through messages such as “what is shown on the screens in the special room?” and “Dave, it’s great that you get information about [Specified Country 1] first”.

The co-conspirator’s requests became increasingly specific, asking about NATO plans, weapon supplies, and military intelligence. 

Messages like “Sweet Dave, the supply of weapons is completely classified, which is great!” and “You have a job in the Operations Center today, I remember, I’m sure there is a lot of interesting news there?” demonstrated a deliberate effort to gather classified National Defense Information (NDI).

Federal prosecutors noted that the transmitted information was classified under Executive Orders 12958, 13292, and 13526, which establish that SECRET-level information could cause “serious damage to national security” if disclosed. 

The case was prosecuted under the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the National Security Division, highlighting the counterintelligence implications of the breach.

Espionage Charges Under Federal Law

Slater faced three federal charges under the Espionage Act. The primary charge was conspiracy to disclose national defense information under 18 U.S.C. § 793(g), along with two counts of unauthorized disclosure of national defense information under 18 U.S.C. § 793(d) for incidents occurring on March 28, 2022, and April 13, 2022.

The defendant held a TOP SECRET//SCI (TS//SCI) security clearance and had signed a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) in August 2021, which explicitly warned that “unauthorized disclosure, unauthorized retention, or negligent handling of SCI could cause irreparable injury to the United States or be used to advantage by a foreign nation”. 

As a retired Lieutenant Colonel assigned to USSTRATCOM in Nebraska, Slater attended classified briefings regarding Russia’s military operations in Ukraine.

Slater’s security training included courses on Unauthorized Disclosure of Classified Information, Counterintelligence Reporting and Awareness, and Not Releasable to Foreign Nationals (NOFORN) Classification Training, which made his actions even more miserable given his knowledge of security protocols.

The case serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities that social engineering attacks pose to national security infrastructure.

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