DENVER - Jareh Sebastian Dalke, a former National Security Agency (NSA) employee from Colorado, pleaded guilty on Monday to attempting to sell classified information to Russia. According to NBC News, Dalke's plea comes after he gave the information to an undercover FBI agent whom he believed to be a Russian agent.

Federal prosecutors have agreed not to seek a sentence exceeding approximately 22 years in prison for Dalke. However, the final decision on his punishment rests with U.S. District Judge Raymond Moore, who will sentence Dalke in April.

Dalke, a 31-year-old Army veteran from Colorado Springs, faced the possibility of a life sentence for his actions. During the hearing, Dalke spoke only in response to questions from Judge Moore, confirming his understanding of the terms of the plea agreement. He also disclosed that he has been taking medications for mental illness while in custody for the past year.

Dalke's arrest took place on September 28, 2022, when he arrived at Denver's downtown train station with a laptop. Authorities allege that he used a secure connection set up by investigators to transfer classified documents.

An indictment revealed that the information Dalke attempted to provide to Russia included an assessment of the military offensive capabilities of an undisclosed third country. It also contained details of sensitive U.S. defense capabilities, some of which pertained to the same foreign country. In conversations with the undercover agent, Dalke mentioned having $237,000 in debts and explained that his motivation to collaborate with Russia stemmed from his heritage.

Court filings revealed that prior to transferring the classified information, Dalke sent a letter expressing gratitude in Russian. The letter concluded with a statement about looking forward to friendship and shared benefits.

Dalke's role at the NSA was as an information systems security designer. The NSA is responsible for collecting and analyzing signals from both foreign and domestic sources for intelligence and counterintelligence purposes. Prosecutors noted that Dalke had reapplied for employment at the NSA after leaving and providing classified information to the undercover agent.

During a hearing last year, Dalke's federal public defender downplayed his access to classified information, citing his brief tenure of less than a month at the NSA.