Virginia sailor pleads guilty to giving Russian information

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (AP) — A Navy sailor stationed in Virginia pleaded guilty Tuesday to giving a Russian national classified information.

The Virginian-Pilot reports Chief Petty Officer Charles T. Briggs also pleaded guilty to making false official statements three times.

Briggs’ rank was reduced to E-4 and he was sentenced to 18 months and an additional 13 months for the second conviction.

The sentences will be served consecutively. Briggs was accused of acquiring classified information while he was stationed at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska from 2018 to early 2019.

Navy officials say he later passed that information on to a Russian national knowing it would be harmful to the United States.

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