A former US military important and his spouse, an anesthesiologist, have been criminally billed for allegedly plotting to leak extremely sensitive health care facts about armed service patients to Russia, the US Office of Justice reported on Thursday.
Jamie Lee Henry, the former main who was also a physician at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, and his spouse, Dr Anna Gabrielian, ended up billed in an unsealed indictment in a federal court in Maryland with conspiracy and the wrongful disclosure of independently identifiable health data.
The indictment alleges that the plot began before this 12 months, soon after the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, requested the invasion of Ukraine.
Prosecutors stated the pair wished to try to assistance the Russian authorities by delivering them with facts to aid the Putin regime “gain insights into the healthcare situations of people associated with the US govt and military”.
The two satisfied with someone whom they considered was a Russian official, but in simple fact was an FBI undercover agent, the indictment claims.
At a resort in Baltimore on 17 August, Gabrielian informed the undercover agent “she was determined by patriotism toward Russia to give any assistance she could to Russia, even if it meant becoming fired or heading to jail”, the indictment suggests.
In the conference, she volunteered to bring her spouse into the scheme, declaring he had information and facts about prior military teaching the US furnished to Ukraine, amid other points.
At one more assembly later that day, Henry explained to the agent he far too was committed to Russia, and claimed he experienced even contemplated volunteering to be a part of the Russian army.
“The way I am viewing what is likely on in Ukraine now, is that the United States is making use of Ukrainians as a proxy for their possess hatred toward Russia,” he allegedly explained to the agent.
The agent urged them to read a e book named Inside of the Aquarium: The Building of a Top Soviet Spy, telling the pair it would enable them realize what they had been about to do.
“It’s the mentality of sacrificing every thing … and loyalty in you from working day one,” the agent stated. “That’s not anything you walked absent from.”
Apparently Henry had some reservations about giving health care knowledge, stating it would violate the Overall health Insurance coverage Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the indictment suggests, but his wife experienced no hesitations.
In a 24 August meeting, she explained to the undercover agent her spouse was a “coward” to be concerned about violating HIPAA but she violated the regulation “all the time” and would see to it they could present Russia with access to health-related information from Fort Bragg patients.
By the conclude of the thirty day period, she experienced handed over info on existing and previous armed service officials and their spouses, the indictment claims.
