Offutt Air Force Base employee pleads guilty to using dating app to disclose classified information

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A civilian employee of the U.S. Air Force pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiring to transmit classified information relating to national defense.

David Slater, 64, faces up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and fine of up to $250,000.

Slater, a former Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army, was assigned the U.S. Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha.

According to court documents, Slater used an online dating platform beginning in or around February 2022 until in or around April 2022 to release the classified information.

“The defendant, an employee of the United States Air Force with access to some of our Nation’s most closely held secrets, shared classified information with someone claiming to be a foreigner on an online dating platform,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The Department of Justice stands ready to hold accountable those who violate their obligation to protect sensitive national security information entrusted to them.”

Court document say Slater worked in a classified space at USSTRATCOM and held a Top Secret security clearance in or around August 2021 until in or around April 2022.

“Access to classified information comes with great responsibility. David Slater failed in his duty to protect this information by willingly sharing National Defense Information with an unknown online personality despite having years of military experience that should have caused him to be suspicious of that person’s motives,” said U.S. Attorney Lesley A. Woods for the District of Nebraska.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Slater had reason to believe the information he released could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of a foreign nation.

“Mr. Slater betrayed an oath he made to safeguard our nation’s intelligence,” said Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel of the FBI Omaha Field Office. “Leveraging his access to sensitive information, Mr. Slater chose to transmit material that put our country at risk. The FBI is extremely thankful for the work of our partners in this case. We will continue to partner together to defend the homeland by aggressively investigating and apprehending criminals and adversaries who pose a threat to our nation’s security.”

According to court documents, Slater attended USSTRATCOM briefings regarding Russia’s war against Ukraine that were classified.

Slater then conspired to transmit classified National Defense Information that he learned from those briefings via the foreign online dating app, according to officials.

According to officials, the co-conspirator — who claimed to be a female living in Ukraine — regularly asked Slater to provide her with sensitive, non-public, closely held, and classified National Defense Information.

Officials said she called Slater in their messages her “secret informant love” and her “secret agent.”

According to officials, Slater transmitted classified National Defense Information to her, including military targets and Russian military capabilities relating to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Slater is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 8.