Peter Williams, a former director at the U.S. defense contractor subsidiary L3Harris Trenchant, has pleaded guilty in federal court to selling highly valuable trade secrets to a Russian firm. The 39-year-old Australian national admitted to two counts of theft, involving secrets worth at least $1.3 million.

Williams, who previously worked for the Australian Signals Directorate, was responsible for developing hacking tools and zero-day exploits for the U.S. government and its allies. His plea brings to light a significant breach of trust from a high-level insider within the secretive cyber-arms industry.

A Million-Dollar Deception

According to prosecutors, Williams sold eight distinct trade secrets to a Russia-based software broker between 2022 and 2025. This broker is known for acquiring zero-day vulnerabilities and reselling them to non-NATO countries. To conceal his identity, Williams operated under the alias John Taylor, using an encrypted email account to negotiate contracts and arrange payments totaling over $1.3 million. He even agreed to provide software support for the stolen tools he sold.

Ironic Investigation and Consequences

In a stunning twist, while Williams was actively selling secrets, he was tasked with overseeing an internal investigation into a separate, alleged leak of hacking tools by another employee at Trenchant. He reportedly advised the FBI on the most likely methods an insider could use to exfiltrate company data, all while doing so himself. Following his confession to the FBI, Williams now faces a potential prison sentence of between 87 and 108 months. As part of his plea deal, he has agreed to pay $1.3 million in restitution, and authorities are seizing assets purchased with the illicit funds, including a home in Washington, D.C., and numerous luxury watches.