A former U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) employee accused of trying to sell classified information to Russia will remain behind bars while he is prosecuted, a judge ruled on October 11.
Jareh Sebastian Dalke, 30, is facing a possible life sentence for allegedly sharing documents after promising not to disclose information he obtained while working at the NSA.
Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews said the possibility of life in prison along with sympathies he has allegedly expressed for Russia make Dalke a flight risk.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Martinez argued that the government does not know whether Dalke obtained more information from the NSA that is stored somewhere else or that he possibly memorized. And he has the motivation to sell more secrets if he were to be released, she said.
“He knows how to make money. Sell secrets to Russia,” said Martinez.
Dalke, who has pleaded not guilty, was arrested September 28 in Denver after authorities say he used a secure connection set up by investigators to transfer the classified documents.
The arrest affidavit noted that he speaks basic Spanish and Russian and that he tried to verify that the undercover agent was actually working for the foreign government.
Dalke worked for the NSA as an information systems security designer during the summer of 2022. One of his lawyers, David Kraut, said Dalke's access to classified information was limited since he worked at the NSA for less than a month.
The army veteran allegedly told the undercover agent that he had $237,000 in debts and that he had decided to work with Russia because his heritage “ties back to your country.”