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Former Army Special Forces Officer Charged in Russian Espionage Conspiracy
justice.gov ^ | August 21, 2020 | DOJ

Posted on 08/22/2020 11:46:32 AM PDT by ransomnote

Former Green Beret Allegedly Conspired to Provide National Defense Information to Russian Intelligence

A Gainesville, Virginia, man was arrested today for conspiring with Russian intelligence operatives to provide them with United States national defense information.

According to court documents, from December 1996 to January 2011, Peter Rafael Dzibinski Debbins, 45, a former member of the U.S. Army, allegedly conspired with agents of a Russian intelligence service.  During that time, Debbins periodically visited Russia and met with Russian intelligence agents.  In 1997, Debbins was assigned a code name by Russian intelligence agents and signed a statement attesting that he wanted to serve Russia.

“Two espionage arrests in the past week — Ma in Hawaii and now Debbins in Virginia — demonstrate that we must remain vigilant against espionage from our two most malicious adversaries — Russia and China,” said John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security.  “Debbins violated his oath as a U.S. Army officer, betrayed the Special Forces and endangered our country’s national security by revealing classified information to Russian intelligence officers, providing details of his unit, and identifying Special Forces team members for Russian intelligence to try to recruit as a spy.  Our country put its highest trust in this defendant, and he took that trust and weaponized it against the United States.”

“Our military is tasked with the awesome responsibility of protecting our nation from its adversaries, and its service members make incredible sacrifices in service of that duty,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.  “When service members collude to provide classified information to our foreign adversaries, they betray the oaths they swore to their country and their fellow service members.  As this indictment reflects, we will be steadfast and dogged in holding such individuals accountable.”

"The facts alleged in this case are a shocking betrayal by a former Army officer of his fellow soldiers and  his country," said Alan E. Kohler, Jr.,  FBI Assistant Director of the Counterintelligence Division.  "Debbins is accused of giving Russian intelligence officers sensitive information about the units in which he once served and also providing the names of other service members so Russia could try to recruit them.  These actions cannot stand and the FBI will aggressively pursue such cases."

“According to the allegations, Mr. Debbins knowingly provided information to self-proclaimed members of Russia's Intelligence Service, the GRU,” said James A. Dawson, Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. “As a member of the U.S. Armed Forces, the American people and his fellow service men and women should have been able to trust Debbins with secrets and information.  Debbins allegedly fell very short of that and exploited his role in the military and his fellow service members to benefit one of our top adversaries for years. Today’s charges are another example of the dedicated and unrelenting efforts of the FBI and our partners, domestic and international, to aggressively pursue and bring to justice those who violate this sacred trust and place our national security at risk.”

Over the course of the conspiracy, Debbins allegedly provided the Russian intelligence agents with information that he obtained as a member of the U.S. Army, including information about his chemical and Special Forces units.  In 2008, after leaving active duty service, Debbins disclosed to the Russian intelligence agents classified information about his previous activities while deployed with the Special Forces.  Debbins also provided the Russian intelligence agents with the names of, and information about, his former Special Forces team members so that the agents could evaluate whether to approach the team members to see if they would cooperate with the Russian intelligence service.

Debbins is charged with conspiring to provide United States national defense information to agents of a foreign government.  If convicted, Debbins faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.  A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; James A. Dawson, Acting Assistant Director of FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas W. Traxler and James L. Trump, and Trial Attorney David Aaron of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

Assistant Attorney General Demers and U.S. Attorney Terwilliger greatly appreciate the assistance of the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office, and Army Counterintelligence, along with the United Kingdom's Metropolitan Police and MI5.

An indictment is merely an accusation.  The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Topic(s): 
Counterintelligence and Export Control
National Security
Press Release Number: 
20-812
 


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS:

1 posted on 08/22/2020 11:46:32 AM PDT by ransomnote
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To: ransomnote

Well, there’s but one thing to do...


2 posted on 08/22/2020 11:47:57 AM PDT by choctaw man (Good ole Andrew Jackson, or You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma...)
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To: ransomnote

A left-wing radical from Moghadishu, Minnesota who views himself as a son of Russia. How did the security investigations miss that!? Oh, yeah, the forced outsourcing of the security investations to private companies who really lowered the standards to improve their profits.


3 posted on 08/22/2020 11:54:26 AM PDT by MIchaelTArchangel (I miss Don Imus!)
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To: choctaw man

https://th.bing.com/th/id/OIP.rFK7IcWp4l16BOh-IAEuDwHaFj?w=222&h=180&c=7&o=5&pid=1.7


4 posted on 08/22/2020 11:58:13 AM PDT by MIchaelTArchangel (I miss Don Imus!)
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To: MIchaelTArchangel

Special Forces Spy,
That’s gotta hurt.


5 posted on 08/22/2020 12:04:50 PM PDT by Big Red Badger (TRUMP vs Biden-----------Any Question?)
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To: ransomnote

This wouldn’t happen under a Biden administration.


6 posted on 08/22/2020 12:10:42 PM PDT by TBP (Progressives lack compassion and tolerance. Their self-aggrandizement is all that matters.)
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To: ransomnote

Security investigations needs to back to the FBI. Sorry private companies are doing the job.


7 posted on 08/22/2020 12:11:23 PM PDT by JoeRender
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To: ransomnote

The Army has better do the background check of the candidates they bring up...


8 posted on 08/22/2020 12:15:51 PM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (Baseball players, gangsters and musicians are remembered. But journalists are forgotten.)
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To: ransomnote

Gather up that platoon he ratted on and turn him over to them. Then put him in front of a firing squad. He enlisted already as a Russian agent. Only one solution. (Retired Army Officer)


9 posted on 08/22/2020 12:20:03 PM PDT by Midwesterner53
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To: TBP
He, he! From 1996 - 2011, thus Clinton/Gore, Bush/Cheney, and Obama/Biden.
But not during Trump/Pence, instead they caught him.
10 posted on 08/22/2020 12:32:54 PM PDT by ScaniaBoy (Part of the Right Wing Research & Attack Machine)
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To: Whenifhow; null and void; aragorn; EnigmaticAnomaly; kalee; Kale; azishot; AZ .44 MAG; Baynative; ..

p


11 posted on 08/22/2020 12:34:40 PM PDT by bitt (IF YOU CAN PROTEST IN PERSON, YOU CAN VOTE IN PERSON Donald J. Trump)
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To: choctaw man

Yep. He lost his security clearance and was discharged over a security violation. Must have been a pretty serious violation. SPECWAR guys work directly with a lot of intel sources, and loose lips result in dead sources.

Seems we have pretty detailed information on his meetings with various GRU Officers. Sounds like we might have some inside access. I wonder if they held off busting him this long so as not to burn their sources, or if a source just left Russia...


12 posted on 08/22/2020 12:41:51 PM PDT by ETCM
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To: ScaniaBoy; ransomnote; bitt; little jeremiah; GOPJ

He, he! From 1996 - 2011, thus Clinton/Gore, Bush/Cheney, and Obama/Biden.
But not during Trump/Pence, instead they caught him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

it appears from the piece, that DOJ & DOD are cracking down on espionage in the ranks these days.

“Two espionage arrests in the past week — Ma in Hawaii and now Debbins in Virginia — demonstrate that we must remain vigilant against espionage from our two most malicious adversaries — Russia and China,” said John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security.”


13 posted on 08/22/2020 2:05:05 PM PDT by thinden
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To: thinden

Of course “nothing is happening” baby bitch whiners will not count this or notice it. I check the DoJ twitter pretty often, lots of stuff going on.


14 posted on 08/22/2020 2:06:51 PM PDT by little jeremiah (Courage is not simply one of the Thanks.virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.)
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To: ransomnote

funny thing........

I was just sorting through new posts on the forum & clicked on this post.

outstanding work by DOJ & DOD, I thought.

I better give ransomnote & heads up on this news.

then I went back to see what news agency was reporting this arrest, and notice it was the DOJ (again) and you posted it!!

how funny.

thanx again for shining the light on this recent wave of arrests and indictments here on the forum

you sure wont see it reported on the MSM.


15 posted on 08/22/2020 2:09:36 PM PDT by thinden
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To: little jeremiah; ransomnote
Of course “nothing is happening” baby bitch whiners will not count this or notice it. I check the DoJ twitter pretty often, lots of stuff going on.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

there sure IS a lot going on: espionage, peds, drugs, M-13, human trafficking, white collar fraud.........

gotta be getting some swampers attention: who's next???

16 posted on 08/22/2020 2:14:02 PM PDT by thinden
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To: ransomnote; bitt
***During that time, Debbins periodically visited Russia and met with Russian intelligence agents***

That speaks unspoken volumes... and 'Rafael Dzibinski Debbins' doesn't pass unnoticed either. Sounds like this guy was being watched.

17 posted on 08/22/2020 8:07:07 PM PDT by Bob Ireland (The Democrap Party is the enemy of freedom.They use all the seductions and deceits of the Bolshevics)
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To: ransomnote

Debbins fell for the old Russian honey trap?


18 posted on 08/23/2020 5:22:36 AM PDT by Candor7 (The song Akatonbo( Red Dragonfly):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLblM3mW7vk)
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