Former NSA worker gets nearly 22 years in prison for selling secrets to undercover FBI agent

DENVER -- A erstwhile National Security Agency worker who sold classified accusation to an undercover FBI cause helium believed to beryllium a Russian authoritative was sentenced Monday to astir 22 years successful prison, the punishment requested by authorities prosecutors.

U.S. District Judge Raymond Moore said helium could person enactment Jareh Sebastian Dalke, 32, down bars for adjacent longer, calling the 262-month condemnation “mercy” for what helium saw arsenic a calculated enactment to instrumentality the occupation astatine the NSA successful bid to beryllium capable to merchantability nationalist information secrets.

“This was blatant. It was brazen and, successful my mind, it was deliberate. It was a betrayal, and it was arsenic adjacent to treasonous arsenic you tin get,” Moore said.

Dalke's attorneys had asked for the Army veteran, who pleaded blameworthy to espionage charges past autumn successful a woody with prosecutors, to beryllium sentenced to 14 years successful prison, successful portion due to the fact that the accusation did not extremity up successful force hands and origin damage. Assistant national nationalist defender David Kraut besides argued for a lighter condemnation due to the fact that helium said Dalke had suffered a traumatic encephalon injury, had attempted termination 4 times, and had experienced trauma arsenic a child, including witnessing home unit and substance abuse. Research has shown that benignant of puerility trauma increases the hazard of radical aboriginal engaging successful unsafe behavior, helium said.

Later, Dalke, who said helium was “remorseful and ashamed”, told Moore helium had besides suffered PTSD, bipolar upset and obsessive compulsive disorder.

He denied being motivated by ideology oregon earning wealth by agreeing to merchantability the secrets. Dalke besides suggested helium had an thought that helium was really communicating with instrumentality enforcement but was attracted to the thrill of what helium was doing.

But Moore said helium was skeptical of Dalke’s claims astir his conditions since the defence did not supply immoderate adept opinions oregon infirmary records.

According to tribunal documents, Dalke, who worked astatine the NSA for astir a month, told the undercover FBI cause that helium wanted to “cause change” aft questioning the United States’ relation successful causing harm to the world, but helium besides said helium was $237,000 successful debt. He besides allegedly said helium had decided to enactment with Russia due to the fact that his practice “ties backmost to your country.”

Dalke was initially paid $16,499 successful cryptocurrency for excerpts of immoderate documents that helium passed connected to the cause to amusement what helium had, and past helium offered to merchantability the remainder of the accusation helium had for $85,000, according to the plea deal.

The cause directed him to spell to Denver’s downtown bid presumption connected Sept. 28, 2022, and nonstop the documents utilizing a unafraid integer transportation during a four-hour window. Dalke arrived with his laptop and archetypal utilized the transportation to nonstop a convey you missive that opened and closed successful Russian and successful which helium said helium looked “forward to our relationship and shared benefit,” according to the plea deal. Moments aft helium utilized his laptop to transportation each the files, FBI agents arrested him.

According to the indictment, the accusation Dalke sought to springiness to Russia included a menace appraisal of the subject violative capabilities of a third, unnamed country. It besides includes a statement of delicate U.S. defence capabilities, immoderate of which relates to that aforesaid overseas country.