Oct. 29 (UPI) — An Australian cybersecurity expert who served as director of L3Harris Trenchant, a U.S. defense contractor, has pleaded guilty in federal court to selling trade secrets to a Russian broker that resells cyber exploits to buyers including the Russian government.
Peter Williams, 39, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft of trade secrets that had been stolen over a three-year period from the defense contractor where he worked, the U.S. Justice Department announced in a news release.
The Justice Department did not name the American company, but British government corporate records showed it to be L3Harris Trenchant, where he was employed as the director from October 2024 until he resigned in August.
Williams admitted as part of his plea deal that he used his access to steal $35 million worth of trade secrets beginning in 2022 until his resignation, the Justice Department said.
Using the alias John Taylor, Williams then entered into “multiple written contracts” with a Russian broker who paid him some $1.3 million in cryptocurrency, and then used the money to buy himself fake Rolexes and high-end jewelry.
Sources told Australia’s ABC broadcaster that Williams previously worked for the Australian Signals Directorate, the country’s equivalent to the U.S. National Security Agency.
Precise details of what was stolen by Williams have not been made public, but the Justice Department said the materials were “national security-focused software that included at least eight sensitive and protected cyber-exploit components.”
“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 in a statement.
Williams faces up to 10 years in prison for each count at his sentencing, expected to take place next year. He also faces fines of up to $300,000 and will have to pay restitution of $1.3 million.