Omaha, Nebraska — A retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel who later worked as a civilian employee at the Air Force has pleaded guilty to leaking classified information about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine through an online foreign dating site. Authorities say the motive appeared to be personal, a digital romance that spiraled into a serious breach of national security.
Slater Pleads Guilty to Federal Espionage Charge
David Slater, 64, entered a guilty plea last week in federal court in Omaha to one count of conspiracy to communicate national defense information to an unauthorized person. The plea was part of an agreement in which two other counts were dismissed.
He faces a recommended sentence of between 5 years and 10 months and 7 years and 3 months in federal prison. The maximum sentence for the charge is 10 years. Slater remains free until his sentencing hearing, scheduled for October 8, pending U.S. District Judge Brian Buescher’s final decision.
“Secret Agent With Love”: Romance Turns Risky
Prosecutors say that between August 2021 and April 2022, Slater used his top-secret security clearance while working at US Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska to access sensitive intelligence related to the war in Ukraine.
According to court documents, Slater shared this information via a foreign dating site with an individual who claimed to be a woman in Ukraine. Communications between the two were described as flirtatious and emotionally charged. In one message, the unidentified woman called Slater, “my secret informant love!” In another, she said, “You are my secret agent. With love.”
She also pushed for intelligence updates, once asking, “Dave, I hope tomorrow NATO will prepare a very pleasant ‘surprise’ for Putin! Will you tell me?”
Government Condemns the Breach
Federal prosecutors stressed the seriousness of the offense. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg said Slater had access to “some of the nation’s most highly classified information.” U.S. Attorney for Nebraska Lesley Woods added, “Slater failed in his duty to protect this information by willingly sharing it with an unknown online personality despite years of military experience that should have made him suspicious.”
In a signed plea statement, Slater acknowledged:
“I conspired to willfully communicate national defense information to an unauthorized person.”
Origin of Co-conspirator Remains Unclear
Court filings do not reveal the identity of the woman on the dating site, nor whether she was acting on behalf of a foreign government such as Ukraine or Russia. The platform used for communication has also not been named publicly.
Spokesperson Amy Donato from the U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment further. Slater’s attorney, Stuart Dornan, did not respond to requests for comment.
Arrest and Background
Slater retired from the Army in 2020 with the rank of lieutenant colonel. After retirement, he began working in a secure capacity at Offutt AFB in 2021 and was arrested in March 2024. The investigation began following concerns about his online communications and culminated in a federal indictment.
Slater’s case marks one of the rare instances of classified U.S. defense intelligence being compromised through a romantic connection formed online. It underscores the ongoing vulnerabilities posed by digital communications and social engineering, even among seasoned military personnel.
