A US Air Force employee has been arrested for allegedly conspiring to send classified information on a foreign online dating platform.

David Franklin Slater, 63, of Nebraska held top security clearance at the US Strategic Command after retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel from the U.S. Army.

He held that security clearance from in or around August 2021 to until in or around April 2022, according to the Office of Public Affairs.

“As alleged, Mr. Slater, an Air Force civilian employee and retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, knowingly transmitted classified national defense information to another person in blatant disregard for the security of his country and his oath to safeguard its secrets,” the Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Matthew G. Olsen said.

“The Department of Justice will seek to hold accountable those who knowingly and willfully put their country at risk by disclosing classified information.”

The US Attorney for the District of Nebraska also made a statement about Slater.

“Certain responsibilities are incumbent to individuals with access to Top Secret information. The allegations against Mr. Slater challenge whether he betrayed those responsibilities,” U.S. Attorney Susan Lehr for the District of Nebraska said.

“We look forward to continuing our work with the FBI and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations to ensure the safety of our country.”

‘MY SECRET AGENT’

Slater allegedly attended Top Secret US Strategic Command briefings regarding Russia’s war against Ukraine, according to charging documents.

He then sent what he learned from those briefings through a foreign online dating website to a person who claimed to be a woman living in Ukraine.

The woman constantly asked Slater for classified information and called him my secret informant, my sweet Dave, and my secrent agent.

On or about April 19 she asked Slater, “Dave, I hope tomorrow NATO will prepare a very unpleasant “surprise” for Putin! Will you tell me?”

On or about April 12 she asked, “Sweet Dave, the supply of weapons is completely classified, which is great!”

In another message she said from around March 23 she said, “

Dave, it’s great that you get information about [Specified Country 1] first. I hope you will tell me right away? You are my secret agent. With love.”

Slater was arrested on Saturday and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison if convicted.

He also faces three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count of conspiracy to transmit national defense information. 

Slater will appear in District of Nebraska court on March 5.

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