A high-ranking executive at a US-based defense contractor, L3Harris Trenchant, has pleaded guilty to selling sensitive trade secrets to a Russian firm. The defendant, Peter Williams, was the director of the company's cyber division before he resigned in mid-August.
According to prosecutors, Williams stole eight trade secrets from two companies and sold them to a buyer in Russia between April 2022 and August 2025, while employed at L3 Trenchant. The stolen secrets were worth at least $1.3 million, with Williams reportedly making significant profits from the sales.
The Russian company that bought the secrets was described as a software broker, purchasing zero-day vulnerabilities and exploits from researchers and selling them to other companies and "non-NATO countries." While prosecutors did not name the specific companies or whether the buyer was connected to the Russian government, they alleged that Williams used encrypted email accounts under a fake name to negotiate deals for the software secrets.
Williams' plea deal calls for him to face between 87 and 108 months in prison, fines of up to $300,000, and pay restitution of $1.3 million. As part of his sentence, he will remain on house confinement at his apartment, undergo electronic monitoring, and be allowed to leave his home for one hour each day.
L3Harris Trenchant, the company where Williams worked, faces no criminal liability in connection with the alleged leak of its hacking tools by employees. The investigation into the leak is ongoing, and Williams oversaw the initial investigation before he was questioned by FBI agents.
Williams' case highlights the growing concern about the theft of sensitive technology by US companies and their employees selling it to foreign firms. The incident also underscores the importance of robust cybersecurity measures and internal controls to prevent such leaks from occurring in the first place.
According to prosecutors, Williams stole eight trade secrets from two companies and sold them to a buyer in Russia between April 2022 and August 2025, while employed at L3 Trenchant. The stolen secrets were worth at least $1.3 million, with Williams reportedly making significant profits from the sales.
The Russian company that bought the secrets was described as a software broker, purchasing zero-day vulnerabilities and exploits from researchers and selling them to other companies and "non-NATO countries." While prosecutors did not name the specific companies or whether the buyer was connected to the Russian government, they alleged that Williams used encrypted email accounts under a fake name to negotiate deals for the software secrets.
Williams' plea deal calls for him to face between 87 and 108 months in prison, fines of up to $300,000, and pay restitution of $1.3 million. As part of his sentence, he will remain on house confinement at his apartment, undergo electronic monitoring, and be allowed to leave his home for one hour each day.
L3Harris Trenchant, the company where Williams worked, faces no criminal liability in connection with the alleged leak of its hacking tools by employees. The investigation into the leak is ongoing, and Williams oversaw the initial investigation before he was questioned by FBI agents.
Williams' case highlights the growing concern about the theft of sensitive technology by US companies and their employees selling it to foreign firms. The incident also underscores the importance of robust cybersecurity measures and internal controls to prevent such leaks from occurring in the first place.
just great, another genius who thought they could outsmart the system by stealing some sensitive info and selling it for a pretty penny... like that's not exactly how espionage works 
anyway, I guess you've got to give credit where credit is due - Peter Williams was definitely good at his job (aka selling secrets to Russia) 
. on a more serious note, 87-108 months in prison doesn't sound too bad considering he raked in like $1.3 million from these shady dealings... 
guess he's gonna be living the high life while serving time 
Can't believe this dude was able to sell off our nation's defense secrets like they were going out of style 
. It's wild that he got caught and only faces 87-108 months in the slammer - seems pretty lenient considering how big of a deal this is 
. Anyone else think this should be an example case? We need more accountability from companies and employees who are willing to sell out our country for personal gain 
.
I'm all about supporting Peter Williams getting the help he needs, you know? He made a mistake and now he's facing the consequences, but let's not forget that we're talking about someone who got caught in the act and is trying to make it right. $1.3 million in stolen secrets is crazy!!! 
L3Harris Trenchant needs to step up their internal controls too, you know? 
A super high-ranking executive at L3Harris Trenchant just admitted to selling top-secret info to Russia for a whopping $1.3 million! 
I mean, we already knew that US companies were vulnerable to cyber attacks, but this is wild. The fact that he used encrypted emails under a fake name and sold vulnerabilities to a Russian software broker is straight out of a spy movie 
.
. The FBI should be on high alert, and companies need to step up their game to protect sensitive info.
and what's up with the "fake name" thing? didn't he think he was being sneaky or something? 
cybersecurity for life! 
how r they even supposed 2 get away w/ this? 
i mean, L3Harris Trenchant is getting off scot free tho lol what kinda message does that send? 
, but this is on a whole different level.
Anyway, I guess this just goes to show that no one's above the law... or so it seems 
.
meanwhile, the company is just sitting there like "oh no, our secrets were stolen" 
it's crazy how these cybersecurity measures are supposed to prevent exactly this kinda thing from happening... the whole system's gotta get shook up 
I mean, come on... Peter Williams just gets off scot-free with a slap on the wrist? 
$1.3 million in stolen secrets is like, a small price to pay for national security 
, right? 
And what really gets me is that he's not even facing any real consequences, just a few months of house confinement and a fin with some restitution 
... and how hard it is to hold people accountable when they break the law 
I mean, $1.3 million is a lot of money 
. We should all be more careful with our company info, 'specially now that we know how easy it is to sell secrets on the dark web 
. The thing that gets me is how easily this happened - just using encrypted email accounts and a fake name to negotiate deals 
. And now, we're left wondering what other sensitive info might have been compromised from L3Harris Trenchant 
.
. But seriously, L3Harris Trenchant needs to get its cybersecurity act together ASAP! You can't put a price on national security 
. Anyway, at least this guy's learned his lesson... and so have we – never trust anyone who uses a fake name 
. And what about all the research that went into those trade secrets? That's just a shame, bro... 
"Loyalty is not about where you live, but rather how you breathe." - Unknown 
"Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom" - Thomas Jefferson 
. And to think he's just getting a slap on the wrist? 87-108 months is still way too lenient if you ask me! 
. And what about the other companies whose secrets were sold? Have they been notified yet?! 
! We need better, we deserve better 
. It's time for our government to step up its game when it comes to protecting national security