Jareh Sebastian Dalke, who pleaded guilty to six counts of attempting to transmit classified information, was handed a stern sentence after U.S. District Judge Raymond P. Moore refused his request for leniency. Dalke, who was arrested mere months following his commencement of work at the National Security Agency for attempting to sell classified information to a purported Russian agent, sought leniency by citing a challenging upbringing, post-traumatic stress disorder, and self-sabotage.
In response, Judge Moore rebuffed Dalke’s plea for a 14-year prison term, a sentiment covered in an article from Law360. The judge characterized Dalke’s crime as “blatant” and “brazen,” coming dangerously close to treason. Moore went on to sentence him to 262 months imprisonment, defining this as an act of “mercy and mitigation,” and a decision he made primarily due to the request of federal prosecutors. Relative to Dalke’s request, Moore retorted, “Not only ‘no,’ Hell no.”
Judge Moore went on to call out Dalke’s history of dishonesty, stating, “I’ve got nothing to back it up other than your word and your word is worth nothing.” The judge’s stringent ruling and the substantial prison term was applauded by legal commentator, Julia Martinez, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, who lauded the decision as a deterrent for potential targets inclined to betray trust, a sentiment also echoed by FBI Director Christopher Wray.
For the full details, you can read the original article on Above the Law.