The U.S. Department of Justice has revealed that an Australian citizen residing in Washington D.C. has pleaded guilty to stealing sensitive U.S. business secrets and selling them to a Russian cyber-tools broker in exchange for cryptocurrency.
According to the Justice Department, 39-year-old Peter Williams, a cybersecurity executive, was convicted on two charges. During his three-year employment with a U.S. defense contractor, from April 2022 to June 2025, Williams abused his network access to steal vital information.
The stolen data included details of sensitive national security software that was specifically intended for sale to the U.S. and its allies. Williams then sold these secrets to various clients, including the Russian government, receiving millions of dollars in cryptocurrency payments.
Williams now faces a potential sentence of 10 years in prison for each charge, along with a $250,000 fine. The U.S. government is also attempting to seize $1.3 million in property from him.
“Williams betrayed the United States and deceived his employer,” said U.S. Deputy Attorney General for National Security, John Azenberg. “He willfully endangered our national security for personal financial gain.”
