Australian man living in Washington DC pleads guilty to selling trade secrets to Russian broker | Australia news

An Australian man pleaded guilty in a US court on Wednesday to stealing his employer’s trade secrets and selling them to a Russian cyber-tool broker.

The US Department of Justice said: On Wednesday, Peter Williams, a 39-year-old Australian living in Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty to two charges of theft of trade secrets. The agency said Williams stole material, including information on national security-focused software, over a three-year period while working for a U.S. defense contractor.

This software was supposed to be sold only to the US government and its allies. But the justice department said Russian broker Williams sold the secrets to present himself as a seller of cyber tools to customers, including the Russian government.

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Both charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The US government has also said it will seek the confiscation of property worth US$1.3 million (AU$2 million).

“America’s national security is NOT FOR SALE, especially in an evolving threat environment where cybercrime poses a serious danger to our citizens,” U.S. attorney Pam Bondi said in the department’s statement.

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Dfat) did not immediately respond to a request for comment. An official said ABC was aware of the charges and was prepared to provide consular assistance “if requested.”

The Australian Defense Force (ADF) said it was aware of reports of the case and that they were “taken very seriously” but would not comment on individual cases.

“Defence has implemented layered security controls and procedures to protect our people, information, capabilities and bases,” a spokesman said.

John Eisenberg, the US assistant attorney general for national security, said Williams “betrayed the US and his employer by first stealing intelligence-related software and then selling it to a foreign broker who touted his ties to Russia and other foreign governments.”

“His conduct was intentional and deceptive, endangering our national security for personal gain,” Eisenberg said in the department’s statement. “Today’s criminal complaint reflects our commitment to ensuring that insiders who abuse their positions of trust face serious consequences.”

US officials added that the stolen secrets caused more than US$35 million in losses to Williams’ employer and enabled “non-allied foreign cyber actors to achieve sophisticated cyber attacks that will likely be used against large numbers of innocent victims.”

court documents The lawsuit was filed in US district court alleging that Williams stole trade secrets between April 2022 and June 2025 using his employer’s secure network. He then resold the secrets in exchange for the promise of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency, the justice department said.

He then used this money to purchase what he described as “high value items”.

Court documents filed by US prosecutors sought the forfeiture of a home in Washington, DC, numerous watches, jewelry and designer clothes, and proceeds from bank accounts in the US and Australia.

Williams’ sentencing hearing will be held on January 27.