Dalke Sentenced to Over 21 Years for Espionage Attempt

Former NSA employee Jareh Sebastian Dalke, 32, of Colorado Springs, was handed a 262-month prison term for his attempted espionage against the United States. The sentence was imposed by a federal judge in Denver for Dalke’s role in attempting to transmit classified National Defense Information (NDI) to an agent believed to be working for Russia.

Dalke pleaded guilty in 2023 to six counts of trying to pass sensitive information, culminating with his arrest on September 28, 2023. Between August and September 2022, while employed at the NSA as an Information Systems Security Designer, Dalke utilized an encrypted email account to send classified excerpts from top-secret documents to what he thought was a Russian spy, in reality an FBI undercover agent.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland emphasized the gravity of the crime, stating that those seeking to betray their country would face justice. ‘This sentence demonstrates that those who seek to betray our country will be held accountable for their crimes,’ Garland said.

FBI Director Christopher Wray echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the importance of protecting national defense information and praising the FBI’s work on the case. ‘Dalke believed he was passing classified information to an agent of the Russian government. The hard work of our FBI employees prevented that from happening,’ Wray said.

U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan highlighted the cooperation between federal law enforcement agencies, noting that the sentence reflected the seriousness of Dalke’s actions. ‘The sentence Mr. Dalke received today reflects the seriousness of the actions he took in attempt to injure our country and help a foreign government,’ Finegan said.

Dalke had also requested $85,000 for the information he claimed would be valuable to Russia. He planned to transfer more classified material during a meeting at Union Station in Denver but was apprehended by FBI agents before completing the transaction. ‘If Dalke had been successful, the repercussions would have been severe,’ said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek.