Dating Exec ng Air Force, Nagbenta ng 'Cyber Exploits' sa Halagang ₱73.14 Milyon ($1.26M) sa Crypto

An Australian national and former executive at a U.S. cyber-exploit firm received ₱73.14 million ($1.26 million) in cryptocurrency for selling eight protected cyber tools to a Russia-based broker over three years.

Peter Williams, 39, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft of trade secrets after selling components that included zero-day capabilities—previously unknown software vulnerabilities that intelligence agencies use before developers can patch them. The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed Williams entered into multiple written contracts with a Russian broker known to do business with the Russian government. He spent $715,000 of the proceeds on vacations, luxury cars, and jewelry, plus put down ₱87.07 million ($1.5 million) on a Washington property.

Williams worked for Australia's signals intelligence agency before joining what became L3Harris Trenchant, a vulnerability and exploit development subsidiary. The stolen tools were developed for the Five Eyes intelligence alliance—the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. His position as general manager provided privileged access to compartmentalized systems, which he exploited using encrypted channels to exfiltrate data while bypassing standard data loss prevention measures. He sold the exploits to Operation Zero, a Russian brokerage that markets itself as "the only official Russian zero-day purchase platform" and resells to non-NATO buyers including Russian intelligence.

The case demonstrates cryptocurrency's growing role in espionage payments. TRM Labs Head of Policy and Strategic Partnerships for Asia Pacific Angela Ang said crypto is increasingly appearing as a payment rail in national security crimes because it allows fast, cross-border value transfer outside traditional financial chokepoints. She added that when crypto pays for sensitive capabilities, authorities should treat it as both a financial crime and a national security threat.

Williams continued selling exploits through July 2025 even after learning the FBI was investigating him. In a letter to the court, he acknowledged his actions were selfish and shortsighted. Prosecutors are seeking nine years in prison, $35 million in mandatory restitution matching the total losses claimed by companies involved, and forfeiture of his assets including his residence, luxury watches, and funds in seven bank and cryptocurrency accounts. Williams will be deported to Australia after serving his sentence following his sentencing in Washington in late February 2026.