A US government employee has been arrested for attempting to provide classified information to a foreign government.
Nathan Vilas Laatsch, 28, of Alexandria, Virginia, was arrested on May 29, 2025, in northern Virginia.
Laatsch, an IT specialist employed by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), allegedly attempted to transmit national defense information to an officer or agent of a foreign government.
According to court documents, Laatsch became a civilian employee of the DIA in 2019, where he works with the Insider Threat Division and holds a Top Secret security clearance.
Laatsch allegedly offered to provide classified information to a friendly foreign government in an email, stating that he did not ‘agree or align with the values of this administration’ and was therefore ‘willing to share classified information’ that he had access to.
After multiple communications with an FBI agent, Laatsch began transcribing classified information to a notepad at his desk and repeatedly exfiltrated the information from his workspace.
Laatsch subsequently confirmed to the FBI agent that he was prepared to transmit the information, and the FBI implemented an operation at a public park in northern Virginia, where Laatsch believed he would deposit the classified information for the foreign government to retrieve.
Laatsch will make his initial court appearance in the Eastern District of Virginia on May 30, 2025.
Defendant: Nathan Vilas Laatsch
Criminal Charges: Attempting to Provide Classified Information to a Foreign Government
City and State: Alexandria, Virginia
Exact Date: May 29, 2025
Sentence or Outcome: Currently Pending
Related Federal Cases
- Sean Andrew Duncan, Obstruction of Terrorism Investigation, Virginia 2016 · Washington
- John Edgar Rust, Transmitting Threats, Virginia 2015 · Arkansas
- Julian Paul Assange, Espionage Conspiracy, Virginia 2023 · North Carolina
- Joseph Bourabah, Cyberstalking, Virginia 2022 · Alabama
- Ebuka Raphael Umeti, BEC Scheme, Virginia 2024 · Colorado
Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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