Former Navy Petty Officer First Class, Robert Patrick Hoffman II of Virginia Beach Virginia, was sentenced on Monday to 30 years in prison for attempted Espionage by Senior United States District Court Judge Robert G. Doumar.

According to court documents, the former Petty Officer used his position of Cryptologic Technician and his access to classified national defense information about U.S. submarines and their capabilities and equipment, about adversaries, about specific missions, and about U.S. military and naval intelligence as an opportunity to make money selling secrets to the Russian Federation.

While deployed, Hoffman operated electronic sensors and systems designed to collect data and information about potential adversaries, scanned the operating environment for threats to the submarine, and provided technical and tactical guidance to submarine commanders.

After finding that Hoffman had spent three weeks in Belarus in 2011, undercover FBI agents sent Hoffman a letter that contained a “Order of the Red Banner” Medal that was supposed to have been sent from Moscow.

It was found then that Hoffman was willing to act as an agent and commit espionage against the U.S. As part of this investigation, undercover FBI agents posing as operatives of the Russian Federation contacted Hoffman seeking defense information. Hoffman told the undercover officers that he looked forward to “renewing a friendship” with his purported Russian contact, and wanted payment or job assistance in return for the risk he was taking.

Hoffman also informed the officers that he wanted to communicate physically, as he was concerned about insecure electronic means of communicating. He said the need for “security was paramount.”

In response, the undercover agents set up a dead drop site for Hoffman at the FIrst Landing State Park in Virginia Beach. The site was in a hollow at the base of a tree, where he was to place coded responses to questions posed by the officers. Hoffman would use this site at the First Landing State Park on three different occasions in September and October of 2012, each time filling the hollow with thumbdrives that contained national defense information classified at the levels of secret and top secret.

As a result of his actions, Hoffman was arrested in December of 2012.

Hoffman went to trial in mid-August, 2013 and at the conclusion of a five-day trial, was found guilty of Attempted Espionage after the jury deliberated for about 90 minutes.

“By attempting to hand over some of America’s most closely held military secrets, Robert Hoffman put U.S. service members and this country at risk,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Carlin. “ Today, Mr. Hoffman is being held accountable for his actions. This prosecution should serve as a warning to others who would compromise our nation’s secrets. I commend the prosecutors, agents and analysts who worked diligently on this case.”

“Hoffman attempted to spy on behalf of the Russian Federation and betrayed the trust this country placed in him,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Boente. “He was willing to place American lives at risk for personal gain.”