NORFOLK, Va., Aug. 10 (UPI) -- A U.S. Navy sailor being held in Norfolk, Va., has been charged with attempting to pass classified military information to foreign governments.
Navy officials have accused Petty Officer 3rd Class Ariel Weinmann, a fire control technician, of deserting his submarine and taking documents from the boat marked "confidential" and "secret," The Washington Post reported Thursday. He then allegedly attempted to pass the documents to foreign government officials in Bahrain, Vienna, and Mexico City. Officials alleged that Weinmann was trying to pass the documents, which officials said is probably "low-level" information regarding the submarine's operation, to Russia.
He was charged with desertion, failure to obey a general order, espionage, illegally copying classified information, destruction of government property and larceny, the Post said. The case now falls to Navy commanders, who must now decide whether to court-martial the sailor.
The lead attorney for Weinmann, Lt. Cmdr. Karen Somers, released a statement saying: "at this point in the proceeding, it is not in my client's best interest to comment on the case."
