Former StratCom worker sentenced, shared classified Russia-Ukraine war info on dating site
Source: Nebraska Examiner
By: Zach Wendling - October 9, 2025 7:02 pm
LINCOLN — A federal judge sentenced a former civilian employee of the U.S. Air Force on Wednesday to nearly six years in federal prison on one felony count of conspiring to transmit classified national defense information via a foreign online dating platform in 2022 regarding the Russia-Ukraine war.
U.S. District Judge Brian Buescher sentenced David Franklin Slater of Auburn to 70 months in prison and a year of supervised release. Slater pleaded guilty in July; he was 64 at that time. As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors dismissed two other charges against Slater of willful transmission of national defense information. Buescher also assessed a $25,000 fine, with interest, against Slater. Slater faced up to 10 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine on the top charge.
According to court records, Slater worked at U.S. Strategic Command in Sarpy County between August 2021 and April 2022. StratCom is essentially the nation’s command and control center for nuclear and conventional strategic deterrence against attacks on the nation and its allies. Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Prosecutors said Slater, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, attended classified StratCom briefings on the Russia-led war between February and April 2022. Slater had “top secret” security clearance. Prosecutors accused him of sharing information up to “secret,” a level below top secret.
Shown is the StratCom Gate at Offutt Air Force Base. (Courtesy of Offutt Air Force Base)
Read more: https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/former-stratcom-worker-sentenced-shared-classified-russia-ukraine-war-info-on-dating-site/
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