Overview

• On July 10, 64-year-old David Franklin Slater pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transmit classified defense information and now faces up to 10 years in prison, supervised release and fines at his October 8 sentencing.
• He used a foreign online dating platform from February to April 2022 to share Top Secret details of military targets and Russian capabilities related to the Ukraine invasion.
• Slater held a Top Secret/TS//SCI clearance at USSTRATCOM’s Offutt Air Force Base and had attended sensitive Ukraine war briefings prior to abusing his access.
• The FBI Omaha Field Office, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the Justice Department’s National Security Division led the investigation and prosecution.
• The case highlights the threat of insider espionage and underscores the need for stricter safeguards on personal communication channels.