‘My Secret Informant Love’: Ex–Army Officer Gets Nearly 6 Years for Leaking Russia-Ukraine War Secrets on a Dating Site

Retired lieutenant colonel shared SECRET-level briefings from U.S. Strategic Command to a purported “Ukrainian woman,” exposing targets and Russian capabilities, prosecutors say

LINCOLN, Neb. | A retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel who later worked as a civilian at U.S. Strategic Command has been sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for conspiring to transmit classified national-defense information about the Russia-Ukraine war via a foreign online dating platform. David Franklin Slater, 64, also received a $25,000 fine and one year of supervised release; he pleaded guilty in July after his March 2024 arrest, and two additional counts were dismissed under the plea deal. 

According to court filings, Slater held a Top Secret clearance while assigned as an Air Force civilian at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska (U.S. Strategic Command) between August 2021 and April 2022, where he attended classified briefings on the conflict. He admitted he conspired to transmit SECRET information about military targets and Russian capabilities to a person he believed was a woman in Ukraine, communicating through the site’s messaging tools. 

Messages from the unnamed coconspirator included endearments—calling Slater “my secret informant love!” and “my secret agent. With love.”—and prodded for details such as whether “NATO will prepare a very pleasant surprise” for Russia. Prosecutors have not publicly identified the coconspirator or confirmed any government affiliation. 

FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel said Slater “betrayed an oath” and “put our country at risk,” while the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska emphasized the breach of the trust placed in cleared personnel. The sentence—70 months—falls within the range contemplated at the plea, which anticipated roughly 5 years 10 months to 7 years 3 months. 

Why this case matters

• Insider risk & digital tradecraft: The case underscores how romance-style social engineering can defeat otherwise robust clearance vetting, particularly during high-tempo conflicts. 
• Operational sensitivity: Even snippet-level, SECRET-grade context on targeting and adversary capabilities—shared near-real-time—can aid hostile planning or countermeasures. 
• Deterrence signal: DOJ and FBI messaging highlights continued emphasis on prosecuting NDI (national defense information) leaks alongside broader insider-threat crackdowns since 2023–2024. 

Timeline

• Feb–Apr 2022: Alleged messaging and disclosures via the dating platform. 
• Mar 2, 2024: Arrest and indictment announced. 
• Jul 2025: Guilty plea to conspiracy to disclose NDI. 
• Oct 8–10, 2025: Sentenced to 70 months, $25,000 fine, 1-year supervision. 

Analysis & Takeaways

• Defense readiness risk: The disclosures occurred during the early months of the full-scale war, when battlefield dynamics were highly fluid; even partial insights could shape Russian posture or complicate allied support. 
• Human-factor vulnerability: The use of intimacy-laced prompts (“secret agent,” “informant love”) reflects classic confidence-building techniques in online espionage/collection—low-tech, high-yield against isolated or flattered targets. 
• Policy implications: Expect renewed calls for continuous evaluation, dating-app risk training, and reporting requirements for cleared staff who experience persistent foreign-contact solicitations. 

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-- By Cierra Jacobs

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