Retired Army Officer Pleads Guilty to Transmitting Classified Information about Ukraine Conflict

David Slater, a 64-year-old former Army lieutenant colonel who transitioned to a civilian position with the Air Force, has admitted to charges related to sharing classified materials about the conflict in Ukraine via an online dating service. During a court session in Omaha, he accepted responsibility for conspiring to convey national defense information, leading to the dismissal of two additional charges against him.

Slater, who maintained top secret clearance at the U.S. Strategic Command based in Nebraska, remains out on bail until his sentencing scheduled for October 8. In discussions between his attorney and federal prosecutors, a recommended prison term range has been established, suggesting a potential sentence of between five years, ten months to seven years, three months. The statutory maximum penalty that could be applied in his case is a decade-long prison sentence, but the final decision on his guilt plea and punitive measures will rest with U.S. District Judge Brian Buescher.

In a handwritten note confessing his actions, Slater acknowledged planning to share sensitive national defense information with an unauthorized individual. According to statements made by the assistant attorney general for national security, Slater had access to critical government secrets and breached the trust associated with that access by relaying classified details to someone with questionable intentions.

Having retired from active military service in 2020, Slater utilized his expertise while working in a classified environment from 2021 to 2022, where he attended briefings that included critical intelligence on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. His arrest took place in March 2024 after it was revealed that the information he shared revolved around military targets and Russian capabilities, communicated through a messaging feature of a foreign dating website to an individual portraying herself as a Ukrainian woman.

The information exchange indicated that Slater was aware of the potential ramifications of sharing such classified data, understanding that it could harm U.S. interests or benefit a foreign entity. Correspondence presented in court revealed that the coconspirator frequently solicited classified insights from him, even affectionately referring to him as her “secret informant” and suggesting that he might provide insight into actions by NATO against Russia. The identity of the alleged coconspirator remains undisclosed, along with the dating platform utilized for these communications.