Engineer Who Used Peanut Butter Sandwich to Try to Sell Nuclear Secrets Pleads Guilty

The nuclear engineer accused of trying to sell nuclear submarine secrets hidden inside peanut butter sandwiches pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge that will put him behind bars for up to 17 years.

Jonathan Toebbe, 43, who worked for the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, and his wife, Diana, were charged with espionage-related crimes after trying to trade secrets for $5 million in cryptocurrency. The FBI intercepted the plot, and when Toebbe and his wife allegedly passed SD cards hidden in a peanut butter sandwich, a Band-Aid wrapper, and a gum package, undercover agents were on the receiving end.

“Among the secrets the U.S. government most zealously protects are those related to the design of its nuclear-powered warships,” said Matthew Olsen, the assistant attorney general for the DOJ’s National Security Division. “The defendant was entrusted with some of those secrets, and instead of guarding them, he betrayed the trust placed in him and conspired to sell them to another country for personal profit.”

On Monday, Jonathan Toebbe pleaded guilty in a West Virginia courtroom. His wife’s case is being handled separately. (Read more from “Engineer Who Used Peanut Butter Sandwich to Try to Sell Nuclear Secrets Pleads Guilty” HERE)

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