A married couple from Maryland has been arrested on suspicion of selling secret information about the design of nuclear-powered warships.
Jonathan and Diana Toebbe, residents of Annapolis, were taken into custody in Jefferson County, West Virginia, by the FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service on Saturday, October 9.
The arrest stems from allegations that 42-year-old Naval nuclear engineer Jonathan Toebbe, along with his 45-year-old wife Diana, engaged in selling information classified as Restricted Data to an undercover FBI agent posing as a representative of a foreign government.
According to the complaint affidavit, on April 1, 2020, Jonathan Toebbe sent a package to a foreign government containing a sample of Restricted Data and provided instructions on how to establish a covert relationship to acquire more of this information.
Over the course of several months, Toebbe communicated with an undercover agent, eventually agreeing to sell Restricted Data for a significant sum of money in crypto-currency. After receiving a $10,000 advance payment, the couple arranged a dead drop for the data exchange.
On June 26, Toebbe hid an encrypted SD card in a peanut butter sandwich at a designated location in West Virginia while his wife acted as a lookout. The undercover agent retrieved the card, paid Toebbe $20,000 for the encryption key, and discovered Restricted Data related to submarine nuclear reactors.
A second dead drop took place on August 28, with Toebbe concealing an SD card in a pack of chewing gum and receiving $70,000 in exchange. The FBI apprehended the couple on October 9 after Toebbe placed a third SD card at a pre-arranged location.
The Toebbes face charges under the Atomic Energy Act and are scheduled to appear before a federal court in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Diana Toebbe, a humanities teacher at the Key School in Annapolis, has been suspended from her position following her arrest.
The case highlights the serious consequences of selling classified information and the potential risks posed by individuals with access to sensitive data. The investigation serves as a reminder of the importance of safeguarding national security interests and preventing unauthorized disclosures of restricted information.