US couple plead not guilty to espionage, alleged sale of nuclear submarine info: Reports

A couple charged with espionage for the alleged sale of classified nuclear submarine intelligence to what they believed to be a foreign government pleaded not guilty in a US court, CBS Baltimore reported.

The couple, Jonathan and Diana Toebbe, are accused of attempting to sell military secrets obtained through Jonathan's job as a US Navy nuclear engineer to what they believed to be a foreign government but was actually an FBI sting operation.

The Toebbes allegedly sent a package containing sensitive information to a foreign government, who held onto the information for some time before turning it over to US authorities, who then began investigating its sender.

FBI Special Agent Peter Olinits testified in the court about the measures taken by the Toebbes for operational security during their "dead drop" deliveries to the undercover FBI investigators, the report said.

He said that authorities have yet to recover the $100,000 paid in cryptocurrency to the couple as part of the sting or the large amount of classified information they offered to the FBI agents, they added. (ANI/Sputnik)

( With inputs from ANI )