US government employee charged with trying to give classified information to a foreign government

WASHINGTON — An information technology specialist for the Defense Intelligence Agency was charged Thursday with attempting to transmit classified information to a representative of a foreign government, the Justice Department said.

Prosecutors say Nathan Vilas Laatsch, 28, of Alexandria, Virginia, was arrested at a location where he had arranged to deposit sensitive records to a person he thought was an official of a foreign government, but who was actually an undercover FBI agent. The identity of the country Laatsch thought he was in communication with was not disclosed, but the Justice Department described it as a friendly, or allied, nation.

It was not immediately clear if Laatsch, who was set to make a court appearance Friday, had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf.

The Justice Department said its investigation into Laatsch began in March after officials received a tip that he had offered to provide classified information to another nation. Laatsch wrote in his email that he “did not agree or align with the values of this administration” and was willing to transmit sensitive materials, including intelligence documents, to which he had access, prosecutors said.

An undercover agent got in touch with Laatsch, who began transcribing classified information to a notepad and made plans to drop off information that the foreign government representative could pick up in a park.

At one drop-off this month, prosecutors say, Laatsch left behind a thumb drive containing multiple typed documents marked up to the Secret and Top Secret levels. In return, prosecutors say, Laatsch said that he was interested in obtaining citizenship from that country because he did not anticipate “things here to improve in the long term.”

He was arrested Thursday at a prearranged location after making additional plans for a drop-off.