U.S. Army Soldier Charged in Alleged Plot to Sell Tank Secrets to Russia
U.S. Army Soldier Charged in Alleged Plot to Sell Tank Secrets to Russia
A U.S. Army soldier, Taylor Adam Lee, 22, holding a Top Secret security clearance, has been formally charged with attempting to transmit national defense information to a foreign adversary and illegal export of controlled technical data. Lee, stationed at Fort Bliss in Texas, is accused of offering sensitive data on the military’s M1A2 Abrams battle tank to an individual he believed to be a Russian intelligence officer, allegedly in exchange for Russian citizenship.
Federal prosecutors state that in June, Lee reportedly transmitted information online and offered assistance to Russia, expressing discontent with the U.S. In a subsequent meeting in July, Lee allegedly handed over an SD card containing documents and information about the Abrams tank, another armored vehicle, and combat operations. These documents included technical data he was not authorized to provide, some marked as Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). Authorities further allege that Lee discussed providing a specific hardware component from the M1A2 Abrams tank and delivered what appeared to be the hardware to a storage unit on July 31, messaging his contact, “Mission accomplished.”
Brigadier General Sean F. Stinchon of Army Counterintelligence Command stated, “This arrest is an alarming reminder of the serious threat facing our U.S. Army.” Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division added, “Today’s arrest is a message to anyone thinking about betraying the U.S. – especially service members who have sworn to protect our homeland.” The Justice Department confirmed Lee’s arrest Wednesday, underscoring the ongoing efforts to safeguard classified information and national security.
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