Former General Manager for U.S. Defense Contractor Pleads Guilty to Selling Stolen Trade Secrets to Russian Broker

Peter Williams, 39, an Australian national, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to two counts of theft of trade secrets, in connection with stealing national-security–focused software from his U.S. defence contractor employer and selling it to a Russian cyber-tools broker. The material, stolen over approximately three years from 2022 through 2025, included at least eight sensitive and protected cyber-exploit components intended for exclusive use by the U.S. government and trusted allies.

Williams resold the trade secrets in exchange for millions of dollars in cryptocurrency, entering into multiple written contracts with the Russian broker that covered the initial sale and periodic follow-on payments, and transferring the eight components through encrypted means. He used the proceeds to buy himself high-value items. Each charge carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss of the offense, according to the U.S.

Department of Justice. Updated information notes the employer was Trenchant, a subsidiary of L3 Harris, per CyberScoop, and the case was disclosed by the department.