Peter Williams, 39, faces 20 years in jail after selling trade secrets to Russian broker
An Australian has stoked fury in the US and is facing 20 years in jail for “betraying” the nation and its allies.
An Australian man living in the United States is facing up to 20 years jail after he pleaded guilty to selling trade secrets to a Russian broker for “millions of dollars in cryptocurrency”.
Peter Williams, 39, used his secure access to an unnamed American defence contractor where he was employed to steal the assets, the US Justice Department said.
The material stolen included cyber-exploit components and eight “sensitive items”.
The secrets, estimated to be worth $2 million, would have then been sold off to “specifically a buyer based in the Russian Federation”, according to court documents.
“Those components were meant to be sold exclusively to the US government and select allies,” prosecutor Tejpal Chawla said at the US District Court in Washington DC.
“Williams sold the trade secrets to a Russian cyber-tools broker that publicly advertises itself as a reseller of cyber exploits to various customers, including the Russian government.”
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Mr Chawla alleged Williams’ crimes spanned over three years from April 2022, and the Australian was in “regular contact” with a Russian company.
Prosecutors allege he used an alias, John Taylor, to avoid being caught and that the 39-year-old would have received more money if his crime was not uncovered.
His employer had realised trade secrets were missing and an internal investigation was launched, led by Williams.
But the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Australian authorities intervened and carried out their own probe later, a move that cost his employer $35 million.
Williams’ position at the US defence contractor was not revealed, but multiple news outlets reported he was a general manager of Trechant, a division in L3Harris until August.
According to the company’s website, it supports national security operations and describes itself as a “world authority on cyber capabilities” in the field of computer network operations and vulnerability research.
It sells surveillance and hacking tools to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, who form the Five Eyes Intelligence alliance.
The US government blasted Williams after he pleaded guilty.
“America’s national security is not for sale, especially in an evolving threat landscape where cybercrime poses a serious danger to our citizens,” Attorney-General Pam Bondi said.
Senior FBI agent Alexander Arnett said the harm caused by Williams “cannot be undone”.
“Peter Williams betrayed the United States and our allies by selling trade secrets,” he said.
“The FBI and our partners will aggressively investigate and hold accountable anyone who threatens US national security.”
Authorities have already seized the Australian’s home in Washington DC and funds from multiple bank accounts, including three in Australia, as part of the investigation.
Other items taken include 22 watches, five of which were fake Rolexes, jewellery, expensive clothing and other accessories.
Williams pleaded guilty to two counts of theft of trade secrets. Each one carries a maximum sentence of 10 years and a fine of up to $US250,000.
He will remain under house arrest until sentencing in late January.
Originally published as Peter Williams, 39, faces 20 years in jail after selling trade secrets to Russian broker
