Federal prosecutors have charged a former general manager of US government defense contractor L3Harris’s cyber arm Trenchant with selling secrets to an unidentified Russian buyer for $1.3 million.

According to the Justice Department, Peter Williams stole seven trade secrets belonging to two unnamed companies between April 2022 and June 2025 “knowing and intending those secrets to be sold outside of the United States, and specifically to a buyer based in the Russian Federation.”

The court documents [PDF] don’t specify what the trade secrets involved, but Williams worked as a director and general manager at L3Harris’ Trenchant division, which develops cyber weapons.

According to the company’s website, it supports “national security operations with end-point intelligence solutions,” and is “a world authority on cyber capabilities, operating in the fields of computer network operations and vulnerability research.”

This is corporate speak for offensive cyber tech, such as zero-day exploits and surveillance tools. But Trenchant claims it uses its cyber powers for good, not evil.

“Much of our work is de facto neither public nor publicised,” the L3Harris website says about its offensive cyber capabilities.

“We are particular about who we work with and so, for all the right reasons, our customer set is both select and small, comprising only those who share our own high ethical standards,” it continues. “Standing shoulder to shoulder with allied governments, defence, security and law enforcement agencies, we work to make the world a safer place by ‘preventing the event’ and defending national security from ever-evolving threats.”

The lawsuit does not accuse Trenchant or L3Harris of any wrongdoing. A spokesperson for L3Harris declined to comment.

Williams, an Australian national, began working as a Trenchant director on October 23, 2024, and resigned on August 21, according to UK government documents.

In addition to charging Williams on two counts of trade-secret theft, federal prosecutors are also seeking the forfeiture of Williams’ house in Washington, DC, 22 watches (including Rolexes, Tag Heuers, and Apple Watches), a light-blue Louis Vuitton handbag, a light-blue Moncler jacket, diamond jewelry from Tiffany, and all of his cryptocurrency funds in accounts across seven different banks and financial platforms.

Williams’ attorney did not immediately respond to The Register‘s inquiries. ®