Annapolis Spy Case: Couple Accused Of Selling Navy Secrets Sentenced To Prison

ANNAPOLIS, MD — An Annapolis couple was sentenced to prison Wednesday after they were caught trying to sell Navy secrets to another country, a report said.

The U.S. Department of Justice identified the arrestees as Jonathan Toebbe, 44, and his wife, Diana Toebbe, 46.

A judge sentenced Jonathan Toebbe to 232 months in prison, prosecutors said. That's more than 19 years. The judge sentenced Diana Toebbe to 262 months, which is over 21 years.

The Toebbes previously pleaded to conspiracy to communicate restricted data related to the design of nuclear-powered warships, a press release said.

Jonathan Toebbe was a nuclear engineer for the Department of the Navy who had a top-secret security clearance.

“The Toebbes conspired to sell restricted defense information that would place the lives of our men and women in uniform and the security of the United States at risk,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Department of Justice remains committed to protecting U.S. defense technology.”

The investigation first made headlines in October 2021 when officials accused the couple of conspiring to sell government secrets. Prosecutors said the suspects thought they were working with a foreign government, but they were really coordinating with an undercover FBI agent trying to catch them.

The suspects then agreed to sell three files on nuclear-powered warships to the undercover agent in exchange for $100,000 in cryptocurrency, the government said.

Authorities said they eventually caught the suspects hiding several encrypted SD cards in West Virginia and Virginia. Investigators alleged that the Toebbes used decoy containers like a peanut butter sandwich and a chewing gum package.

The Department of Justice said Diana Toebbe was a lookout during the drop-offs that her husband made.

The FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service arrested the couple on Oct. 9, 2021, in Jefferson County, West Virginia.

Diana Toebbe asked the court for permission to stay home with the couple's two children until the trial. Washington Post journalist Devlin Barrett said a judge rejected that request on Oct. 21, 2021, calling the mother a flight risk.

The Associated Press reported that the couple had a plea deal in place, but U.S. District Judge Gina Groh rejected that agreement in August. Groh said the sentences were "strikingly deficient."

Jonathan Toebbe would have spent 12 to 17 years in prison if that plea deal would have stood, AP journalist John Raby said. Diana Toebbe would've gotten three years.

“These actions are a betrayal of trust, not only to the U.S. Government, but also to the American people,” said Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr. of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “All U.S. Government employees swear to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, and with that oath comes the obligation to protect sensitive information. Those entrusted with such grave responsibility must be held accountable if they violate their oath and betray their country. The investigation which led to today’s sentencing is a reminder that the FBI and our partners will continue to doggedly pursue those who betray their sworn oath and those who aid them.”

Related:

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• Annapolis Espionage Trial Postponed Until 2022: Report
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• MD Couple Faces Espionage Charges Over Secret Data: FBI