Ariel Weinmann
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| Ariel Weinmann | |
|---|---|
 Fire Control Technician 3rd Class Ariel Weinmann |
|
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 2003- Present |
| Rank | formerly Petty Officer 3rd Class (E-4), demoted to Seaman Recruit (E-1)and Dishonorable Discharge |
Petty Officer Ariel Weinmann, formerly a Fire Control Technician 3rd Class, now a Seaman Recruit with the United States Navy pled guilty on 4 December 2006 to espionage, desertion and other charges. His case is notable as an espionage case where the Navy and trial court officials have denied access to basic information, including the court docket. Weinmann was arrested on March 25, 2006 at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport while traveling from Mexico City, Mexico en-route to Vancouver, British Columbia.
Weinmann of Salem, Oregon enlisted in the Navy in July 2003. He deserted on 3 July 2005 while his submarine was in port in Groton, Connecticut and in March 2005, in or near Manama, Bahrain, "attempted to communicate, deliver or transmit" classified information relating to national defense to "a representative, officer, or employee of a foreign government." Months later Weinmann "communicated, delivered or transmited" information classified as confidential and secret to a representative of a foreign government in Vienna, Austria, around October 19, 2005, and around March 19, 2006 near Mexico City, Mexico.[1]
At the time he deserted he was assigned to the USS Albuquerque (SSN-706), a Los Angeles-class attack submarine.
Espionage is defined by the military as providing classified information to a foreign country. There have been conflicting reports about which countries he is accused of spying for. The Jerusalem Post reported a claim in a Saudi Arabian newspaper that he was spying for Israel, but later reported the Navy as explicitly denying a link with Israel.[2]. It is now assessed, however, that the country in question was Russia.[3]
[edit] Court proceedings
When his arrest was made public it was claimed he had been held in secret for four months.[4]
A docket listing Weinmann’s preliminary hearing, (Article 32) was never produced nor would the Navy confirm when the hearing was held. Officials have refused to produce a charge sheet which would detail the accusations against the sailor. Theodore Brown a spokesman for Fleet Forces Command stated that Weinmann is charged with failure to obey orders and acts prejudicial to good order and discipline in addition to espionage and desertion.
In military courts, an order must be issued closing or sealing a case. Brown acknowledged Thursday that “there is no order,” but said that the charge sheet in the Weinmann case would not be released.[5]
In December 2006 Weinmann was sentenced by a military court-martial at Norfolk Naval Station to 12 years in prison and a dishonorable discharge for desertion and turning over classified information to a foreign agent. Judge Capt. Daniel O'Toole handed down a 25-year term, but was forced by a plea agreement to suspend 13 years. With time already served, Weinmann will be eligible for parole in 2009-2010. Weinmann was represented by attorneys Lt. Cmdr. Karen Somers and Lt. William Tansey.
Weinmann pleaded guilty to espionage, desertion and related charges. Before a plea deal, the maximum penalty was life in prison without parole.
Weinmann admitted that he downloaded classified data, including biographies of Austrian government employees and technical manuals on the Tomahawk cruise missile, while serving aboard the Albuquerque in 2005. He fled to Vienna, Austria, and hoped the Austrian government would be interested in the dossiers being collected by U.S. intelligence agencies. He contemplated trading the dossiers for asylum but abandoned that plan and instead turned over Tomahawk manuals to a foreign agent at a Vienna embassy. Weinmann said he had hoped to exchange the information for a new life in another country.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Wiltrout, Kate. Navy says sailor in brig stole laptop, gave out classified info The Virginian-Pilot August 9, 2006. Accessed August 8, 2006.
- ^ "US Navy says Weinmann was not an Israeli spy", Jerusalem Post, accessed 10 August 2006.
- ^ McGlone, Tim. "Why a patriotic teen joined the Navy and then turned to espionage", The Virginian-Pilot, December 10, 2006. Accessed October 20, 2007.
- ^ Tim McGlone Petty officer held in secret for 4 months The Virginian-Pilot August 4, 2006. Accessed August 4, 2006.
- ^ David Keyes Report: US sailor spied for Israel The Jerusalem Post August 9, 2006. Accessed August 8, 2006.
