US prosecutors accused Peter Williams, a former executive director of a government contractor specializing in providing cybersecurity tools to federal agencies, of selling trade secrets to a Russian buyer for $1.3 million.
On October 14, in a filing filed with the District Court, prosecutors said Williams had stolen eight trade secrets from two anonymous companies between April 2022 and June 2025, intending to sell them to a Russian buyer.
The court records did not name where Williams worked or the companies where the secret was stolen. However, according to UK business records, Peter Williams was listed as the general director of L3 Harris Trenchant from October 2024 until he resigned on August 21, 2025.
L3 Harris Trenchant, a company that develops cyberattacking tools to support national security operations, said it has contracts with the US government. This is a subsidiary of major defense contractor L3Harris. The company declined to comment on the incident.
The prospect of Russia gaining detailed information about the cyber attack tools used by US and other intelligence agencies has raised serious concerns about national security.
This could pave the way for potential attacks on US federal systems, while creating opportunities for opponents to strengthen their defense capabilities.
TechCrunch also previously reported that L3 Harris Trenchant is investigating a leak of cyber attack tools.
Federal prosecutors accused Williams of earning $1.3 million from selling secrets. They are looking to seize a house in Washington, D.C., and luxury items including watches and jewelry he owns.
However, the information about Mr. Williams is somewhat contradictory: papers in the US say he lives in the US, and papers in the UK say he is Australian. His attorney did not comment. He is expected to appear in court on October 29 to answer the allegations and may plead guilty.
