Peter Rafael Dzibinski Debbins was arrested for allegedly releasing aspects to Russian intelligence operatives about the chemical and Particular Forces unit he was a aspect of ahead of and whilst serving in the US Military.
Prosecutors with the Japanese District of Virginia say Debbins met with Russian operatives on a number of occasions from 1996 to 2011 and was even assigned a code title, “Ikar Lesnikov,” by Russian intel brokers. Debbins is also accused of signing a assertion allegedly affirming that he preferred to serve Russia.
The FBI alleges that “Mr. Debbins knowingly presented information to self-proclaimed customers of Russia’s Intelligence Service, the GRU,” explained James A. Dawson, performing assistant director in demand of the FBI Washington area office.
“As a member of the US Armed Forces, the American men and women and his fellow services males and ladies should have been equipped to have confidence in Debbins with tricks and information and facts,” stated Alan E. Kohler, FBI assistant director of the counterintelligence division, in a assertion. “Debbins allegedly fell really quick of that and exploited his role in the armed forces and his fellow company customers to reward one of our top rated adversaries for yrs.”
It was not quickly distinct if Debbins experienced an attorney.
Debbins, 45, of Gainesville, Virginia, served as an lively member of the US Army from 1998 until eventually he was honorably discharged in 2005. In the course of that time, he was granted solution stability clearance and was granted best magic formula security clearance with Delicate Compartmented Information access, according to the indictment.
Prosecutors say Debbins’ contacts with Russia dates to 1996 when he participated in an independent analyze system and lived in Chelyabinsk, a town close by the country’s air drive base. Whilst there, Debbins allegedly satisfied a Russian intelligence agent and talked about his participation in the ROTC system as nicely as his designs to be a part of the army.
He also achieved his spouse in Russia and his father-in-regulation was an officer in the Russian army, in accordance to the indictment.
Debbins also allegedly tried to conceal his romantic relationship with Russian brokers by failing to disclose his contacts with them on US authorities files needed for track record checks, according to the indictment.
Debbins was charged with one particular depend of conspiracy to obtain or produce protection information and facts to aid a foreign federal government. If convicted, Debbins faces a utmost of lifetime in prison.
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