# Naval nuclear engineer and wife arrested on charges of espionage

**URL:** <https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/naval-nuclear-engineer-and-wife-arrested-on-charges-of-espionage/60932>\
**Category:** Maritime News\
**Created:** [October 11, 2021, 8:21am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/naval-nuclear-engineer-and-wife-arrested-on-charges-of-espionage/60932 "2021-10-11T08:21:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Dutchie](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/dutchie/32/170_2.png) [@Dutchie](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Dutchie)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2021, 8:21am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/naval-nuclear-engineer-and-wife-arrested-on-charges-of-espionage/60932/1 "2021-10-11T08:21:29Z")

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> **[Maryland Nuclear Engineer and Wife Arrested on Espionage-Related Charges](https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/maryland-nuclear-engineer-and-wife-arrested-on-espionage-related-charges/2826613/)**
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> According to a criminal complaint, nuclear engineer Jonathan Toebbe, who worked for the Navy, sold restricted information about the design of nuclear-powered warships.

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**Author:** ![Jughead](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/jughead/32/4257_2.png) [@Jughead](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Jughead)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2021, 8:49am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/naval-nuclear-engineer-and-wife-arrested-on-charges-of-espionage/60932/2 "2021-10-11T08:49:10Z")

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Hooray. For once the FBI targets and nabs an actual baddie and his likewise-baddy wife.

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**Author:** ![Heiwa](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/heiwa/32/1054_2.png) [@Heiwa](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Heiwa)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2021, 9:34am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/naval-nuclear-engineer-and-wife-arrested-on-charges-of-espionage/60932/3 "2021-10-11T09:34:38Z")

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It sounds like a joke;

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**Author:** ![Dutchie](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/dutchie/32/170_2.png) [@Dutchie](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Dutchie)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2021, 10:36am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/naval-nuclear-engineer-and-wife-arrested-on-charges-of-espionage/60932/4 "2021-10-11T10:36:50Z")

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The engineer was working on the vital, most secretive propulsion system of nuclear subs. It seems that he didn’t sell the secrets to states like Russia, China, North Korea etc but to more ‘friendly’ states.

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**Author:** ![Sand\_Pebble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c2a13f/32.png) [@Sand\_Pebble](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Sand_Pebble)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2021, 11:51am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/naval-nuclear-engineer-and-wife-arrested-on-charges-of-espionage/60932/5 "2021-10-11T11:51:40Z")

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For a smart guy he sure is dumb. The path he took to try to get his foot in the door of the espionage field sounds one step better than advertising on Craigslist.

From the article:

“On April 1, 2020, Jonathan Toebbe sent a package to a foreign government with a sample of restricted data and instructions on how to buy more, the complaint affidavit alleges. Authorities say he continued communicating for several months with someone he thought was with the foreign government.”

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**Author:** ![seasmaster](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/seasmaster/32/3160_2.png) [@seasmaster](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/seasmaster)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2021, 8:14pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/naval-nuclear-engineer-and-wife-arrested-on-charges-of-espionage/60932/6 "2021-10-12T20:14:42Z")

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I’m good with executing treasonists such as these. [after the obligatory trial & conviction]

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**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2021, 8:44pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/naval-nuclear-engineer-and-wife-arrested-on-charges-of-espionage/60932/7 "2021-10-12T20:44:19Z")

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Sorry, I haven’t been following this case in detail, but I just wondered:  
Did the “friendly” country that was offered the secret tell FBI? (Or whoever handle that kind of contacts within the US intelligence community)  
If not, how did FBI get to know about it and be able to set up a sting operation, pretending to represent that country?