A Navy engineer, Jonathan Toebbe of Annapolis, and his wife were arrested by the FBI for trying to sell US nuclear secrets. Toebbe and his wife were arrested Saturday in Jefferson County, W. Va. And are accused among other crimes of passing along a plastic-coated USD memory card inside half a peanut-butter sandwich.
The 42-year-old suspect and his 45-year-old wife were believed they were dealing with foreign operatives. But actually, the FBI was communicating with the couple.
The espionage was outlined in detail in a federal criminal complaint unsealed on Sunday. They are accused of violating the Atomic Energy Act, according to the Justice Department.
Offer to sell secrets prompts FBI action
The investigation was prompted in December 2020 when the FBI received a package allegedly sent by Toebbe to an unidentified foreign country.
The package contained top-secret Navy documents. And instructions on how to use “encrypted communications.’’ Toebbe communicated his desire to start a “covert relationship.”
