DENVER (AP) — A former National Security Agency employee who sold classified information to an undercover FBI agent he believed to be a Russian official was sentenced Monday to nearly 22 years in prison, the penalty requested by government prosecutors.
U.S. District Judge Raymond Moore said he could have put Jareh Sebastian Dalke, 32, behind bars for even longer, calling the 262-month sentence “mercy” for what he saw as a calculated action to take the job at the NSA in order to be able to sell national security secrets.
“This was blatant. It was brazen and, in my mind, it was deliberate. It was a betrayal, and it was as close to treasonous as you can get,” Moore said.
Dalke’s attorneys had asked for the Army veteran, who pleaded guilty to espionage charges last fall in a deal with prosecutors, to be sentenced to 14 years in prison, in part because the information he sold in 2022 did not end up in enemy hands and cause damage.
This Week: Home sales, Fed meeting minutes and consumer sentiment index
Is Hayley Atwell pregnant? Tom Cruise's ex, 42, cradles her tummy during romantic Venetian mini
People enjoy outdoor activities as spring flowers bloom across China
Matthews scores as Maple Leafs beat Bruins 3
Yvette Fielding says her Most Haunted co
Warwick Davis will in new project with his daughter after death of his wife Samantha
China's new quality agricultural productive forces to be fully developed: report
Lawmakers criticize CIA's handling of sexual misconduct but offer few specifics