The U.S. Justice Department released the below information:
A
Gainesville, Virginia, man was arrested today for conspiring with Russian
intelligence operatives to provide them with United States national defense
information.
According
to court documents, from December 1996 to January 2011, Peter Rafael Dzibinski
Debbins, 45, a former member of the U.S. Army, allegedly conspired with agents
of a Russian intelligence service. During that time, Debbins periodically
visited Russia and met with Russian intelligence agents. In 1997, Debbins
was assigned a code name by Russian intelligence agents and signed a statement
attesting that he wanted to serve Russia.
“Two
espionage arrests in the past week — Ma in Hawaii and now Debbins in Virginia —
demonstrate that we must remain vigilant against espionage from our two most malicious
adversaries — Russia and China,” said John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney
General for National Security. “Debbins violated his oath as a U.S. Army
officer, betrayed the Special Forces and endangered our country’s national
security by revealing classified information to Russian intelligence
officers, providing details of his unit, and identifying Special Forces team
members for Russian intelligence to try to recruit as a spy. Our country
put its highest trust in this defendant, and he took that trust and weaponized
it against the United States.”
“Our
military is tasked with the awesome responsibility of protecting our nation
from its adversaries, and its service members make incredible sacrifices in
service of that duty,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the
Eastern District of Virginia. “When service members collude to provide
classified information to our foreign adversaries, they betray the oaths they
swore to their country and their fellow service members. As this indictment
reflects, we will be steadfast and dogged in holding such individuals
accountable.”
"The
facts alleged in this case are a shocking betrayal by a former Army officer of
his fellow soldiers and his country," said Alan E. Kohler,
Jr., FBI Assistant Director of the Counterintelligence Division.
"Debbins is accused of giving Russian intelligence officers sensitive
information about the units in which he once served and also providing the
names of other service members so Russia could try to recruit them.
These actions cannot stand and the FBI will aggressively pursue such
cases."
“According
to the allegations, Mr. Debbins knowingly provided information to
self-proclaimed members of Russia's Intelligence Service, the GRU,” said James
A. Dawson, Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field
Office. “As a member of the U.S. Armed Forces, the American people and his
fellow service men and women should have been able to trust Debbins with
secrets and information. Debbins allegedly fell very short of that and
exploited his role in the military and his fellow service members to benefit
one of our top adversaries for years. Today’s charges are another example of
the dedicated and unrelenting efforts of the FBI and our partners, domestic and
international, to aggressively pursue and bring to justice those who violate
this sacred trust and place our national security at risk.”
Over
the course of the conspiracy, Debbins allegedly provided the Russian
intelligence agents with information that he obtained as a member of the U.S.
Army, including information about his chemical and Special Forces units. In
2008, after leaving active duty service, Debbins disclosed to the Russian
intelligence agents classified information about his previous activities while
deployed with the Special Forces. Debbins also provided the Russian
intelligence agents with the names of, and information about, his former
Special Forces team members so that the agents could evaluate whether to
approach the team members to see if they would cooperate with the Russian
intelligence service.
Debbins
is charged with conspiring to provide United States national defense
information to agents of a foreign government. If convicted, Debbins
faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. Actual sentences for federal
crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district
court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S.
Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
John
C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; G. Zachary
Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; James A.
Dawson, Acting Assistant Director of FBI Washington Field Office made the
announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas W. Traxler and James L.
Trump, and Trial Attorney David Aaron of the National Security Division’s
Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
Assistant
Attorney General Demers and U.S. Attorney Terwilliger greatly appreciate the
assistance of the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office, and Army Counterintelligence,
along with the United Kingdom's Metropolitan Police and MI5.
An
indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent
until proven guilty.
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