Ariel Weinmann
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| Ariel Weinmann | |
|---|---|
 Fire Control Technician 3rd Class Ariel Weinmann |
|
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 2003- Present |
| Rank | formerly Petty Officer 3rd Class (E-4), now Seaman Recruit (E-1) |
Petty Officer Ariel Weinmann, formerly a Fire Control Technician 3rd Class, now a Seaman Recruit with the United States Navy pled quilty on 4 December 2006 to espionage, desertion and other charges. His case is notable as an espionage case where the Navy and trial court officials have denied access to basic information, including the court docket. Weinmann was arrested on March 25, 2006 at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport while traveling from Mexico City, Mexico en-route to Vancouver, British Columbia.
Weinmann of Salem, Oregon enlisted in the Navy in July 2003. He deserted on 3 July 2005 while his submarine was in port in Groton, Connecticut and in March 2005, in or near Manama, Bahrain, "attempt[ed] to communicate, deliver or transmit" classified information relating to national defense to "a representative, officer, agent or employee of a foreign government." Months later Weinmann "communicate[d], deliver[ed] or transmit[ed]" information classified as confidential and secret to a representative of a foreign government in Vienna, Austria, around October 19, 2005, and around March 19, 2006 near Mexico City, Mexico.[1]
At the time he deserted he was assigned to the USS Albuquerque (SSN-706), a Los Angeles-class attack submarine.
Espionage is defined by the military as providing classified information to a foreign country. There have been conflicting reports about which countries he is accused of spying for. The Jerusalem Post reported a claim in a Saudi Arabian newspaper that he was spying for Israel, but later reported the Navy as explicitly denying a link with Israel.[2]. It is now assessed, however, that the country in question was Russia.[3]
[edit] Court proceedings
When his arrest was made public it was claimed he had been held in secret for four months.[4]
A docket listing Weinmann’s preliminary hearing, (Article 32) was never produced nor would the Navy confirm when the hearing was held. Officials have refused to produce a charge sheet which would detail the accusations against the sailor. Theodore Brown a spokesman for Fleet Forces Command stated that Weinmann is charged with failure to obey orders and acts prejudicial to good order and discipline in addition to espionage and desertion.
In military courts, an order must be issued closing or sealing a case. Brown acknowledged Thursday that “there is no order,” but said that the charge sheet in the Weinmann case would not be released.[5]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Wiltrout, Kate. Navy says sailor in brig stole laptop, gave out classified info The Virginian-Pilot August 9, 2006. Accessed August 8, 2006.
- ^ "US Navy says Weinmann was not an Israeli spy", Jerusalem Post, accessed 10 August 2006.
- ^ McGlone, Tim. "Why a patriotic teen joined the Navy and then turned to espionage", The Virginian-Pilot, December 10, 2006. Accessed October 20, 2007.
- ^ Tim McGlone Petty officer held in secret for 4 months The Virginian-Pilot August 4, 2006. Accessed August 4, 2006.
- ^ David Keyes Report: US sailor spied for Israel The Jerusalem Post August 9, 2006. Accessed August 8, 2006.
