U.S. Servicemember Who Took Illegal Photos Inside Nuclear Sub, Impeded Investigation, Sentenced To Prison

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information:

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin announced that KRISTIAN SAUCIER, 29, of Arlington, Vt., was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 12 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally retaining photos taken inside a nuclear submarine and impeding the investigation of the matter.  While on supervised release, SAUCIER must spend six months in home confinement with electronic monitoring, and perform 100 hours of community service.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from September 2007 to March 2012, SAUCIER served as a machinist’s mate aboard the USS Alexandria, which is a U.S. Navy Los Angeles-class nuclear attack submarine based at the Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Conn.  On at least three separate dates in 2009, SAUCIER used the camera on his personal cellphone to take photographs of classified spaces, instruments and equipment of the USS Alexandria, documenting the major technical components of the submarine’s propulsion system.

On January 19, 2009, at approximately 4:00 a.m., SAUCIER took two photos, one of the auxiliary steam plant panel and the other of the reactor compartment viewed through a portal.  On March 22, 2009, at approximately 1:30 a.m., SAUCIER took two photos that, when placed side by side, provided a panoramic array of the Maneuvering Compartment, the room from which the propulsion system of the boat is operated.  On July 15, 2009, at 12:47 p.m., SAUCIER took two photos documenting the reactor head configuration of the nuclear reactor and a view of the reactor compartment from within that compartment.

SAUCIER had a Secret clearance and knew that the photos depicted classified material and that he was not authorized to take them.  He retained these photographs and failed to deliver them to any officer or employee of the U.S. entitled to receive it.

The investigation began in March 2012 when SAUCIER’s cellphone was found at a waste transfer station in Hampton, Conn.  SAUCIER was interviewed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Naval Criminal Investigative Service in July 2012 and confronted with the classified images from his phone.  Following that interview and in an effort to impede the federal investigation, SAUCIER returned to his home and immediately destroyed a laptop computer, a personal camera and the camera’s memory card.  Pieces of a laptop computer were subsequently found in the woods on a property in Connecticut owned by a member of SAUCIER’s family.

SAUCIER was arrested on May 28, 2015.  On May 27, 2016, he pleaded guilty to one count of unauthorized possession and retention of national defense information.

SAUCIER, who is released on bond, was ordered to report to prison on October 12, 2016.

SAUCIER is currently enlisted in the U.S. Navy as a Petty Officer First Class assigned to the Naval Support Activity Base, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.  He is awaiting an administrative separation board proceeding.

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vanessa Richards and Jacabed Rodriguez-Coss, and Trial Attorney Will Mackie from the Justice Department’s National Security Division, with the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York. 

Feds Torpedo U.S. Navy Sailor's 'Clinton Defense' After Submariner Admits Taking Classified Photographs Of Nuclear Power Unit Amid Claims He Should Be Treated Like Hillary Clinton's Emails

Darren Boyle at the Daily Mail offers a piece on the U.S. submariner who is being prosecuted for taking classified photos of his submarine (seen in the above U.S. Navy photo)

A US Navy submariner who took photographs of highly classified areas of his vessel's nuclear propulsion system has claimed he should be treated like Hillary Clinton over her email scandal. 

Kristian Saucier (seen in the below U.S. Justice Department photo) took several photographs of highly classified areas onboard the USS Alexandria while it was in port. 

Prosecutors claim Saucier tried to blame his ex-wife for the images by suggesting she arranged for a shipmate to take the photographs on his phone to get him into trouble.

The 29-year-old submariner has admitted one count of 'unauthorized retention of defense information' while serving as a machinist on board a US Los Angeles class attack submarine and now faces more than five years in prison.

His legal team attempted to compare the situation with that of the former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. 

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3745250/Feds-torpedo-Navy-sailor-s-Clinton-defense-submariner-admits-taking-classified-photographs-nuclear-power-unit-amid-claims-treated-like-Hillary-s-emails.html 

U.S. Servicemember Admits To Illegally Retaining Photos Taken Inside Nuclear Submarine And Impeding Investigation

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information:

Kristian Saucier, 29, of Arlington, Vermont, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill of the District of Connecticut to one count of unauthorized possession and retention of national defense information.

The guilty plea was announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin and U.S. Attorney Deirdre M. Daly of the District of Connecticut.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from September 2007 to March 2012, Saucier served as a machinist’s mate aboard the USS Alexandria (seen in the above U.S. Navy-released photo), which is a U.S. Navy Los Angeles-class nuclear attack submarine based at the Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut.  On at least three separate dates in 2009, Saucier used the camera on his personal cellphone to take photographs of classified spaces, instruments and equipment of the USS Alexandria, documenting the major technical components of the submarine’s propulsion system.

On Jan. 19, 2009, Saucier took two photos, one of the auxiliary steam plant panel and the other of the reactor compartment viewed through a portal.  On March 22, 2009, Saucier took two photos that, when placed side by side, provided a panoramic array of the maneuvering compartment, the room from which the propulsion system of the boat is operated.  On July 15, 2009, Saucier took two photos documenting the reactor head configuration of the nuclear reactor and a view of the reactor compartment from within that compartment.

Saucier had a secret clearance and knew that the photos depicted classified material and that he was not authorized to take them.  He retained these photos and failed to deliver them to any officer or employee of the United States entitled to receive it.

The investigation began in March 2012 when Saucier’s cellphone was found at a waste transfer station in Hampton, Connecticut.  Saucier was interviewed by the FBI and Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) in July 2012 and was confronted with the classified images from his phone.  Following that interview and in an effort to impede the federal investigation, Saucier returned to his home and immediately destroyed a laptop computer, a personal camera and the camera’s memory card.  Pieces of a laptop computer were subsequently found in the woods on a property in Connecticut owned by a member of Saucier’s family.   

Saucier was arrested on a criminal complaint on May 28, 2015, and was subsequently indicted.

Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for Aug. 19, 2016, at which time Saucier faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.  He is released on a $100,000 bond.

Saucier is currently enlisted in the U.S. Navy as a Petty Officer First Class assigned to the Naval Support Activity Base, Saratoga Springs, New York.  He is awaiting an administrative separation board proceeding.

This matter has been investigated by the FBI and NCIS.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vanessa Richards and Jacabed Rodriguez-Coss of the District of Connecticut and Trial Attorney Will Mackie of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, with the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of New York.

U.S. Service Member Charged With Illegal Retention Of Photos Taken Inside Nuclear Sub, Obstructing Justice

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information:

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in Bridgeport returned an indictment yesterday charging KRISTIAN SAUCIER, 28, of Arlington, Vermont, with unlawfully retaining photos taken inside restricted areas of a nuclear attack submarine, and obstructing the investigation of this matter.

As alleged in court documents, from September 2007 to March 2012, SAUCIER served as a machinist’s mate aboard the USS Alexandria, which is a U.S. Navy Los Angeles-class nuclear attack submarine based at the Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut.

On at least three separate dates in 2009, SAUCIER used the camera on his personal cellphone to take photographs of classified spaces, instruments and equipment of the USS Alexandria. In March 2012, SAUCIER’s cellphone was found at a waste transfer station in Hampton, Connecticut.

After SAUCIER was interviewed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Naval Criminal Investigative Service in July 2012, SAUCIER destroyed a laptop computer, a personal camera and the camera’s memory card. Pieces of a laptop computer were subsequently found in the woods on a property in Connecticut owned by a member of SAUCIER’s family.

SAUCIER is currently enlisted in the U.S. Navy as a Petty Officer First Class assigned to the Naval Support Activity Base, Saratoga Springs, New York.

SAUCIER was arrested on a criminal complaint on May 28, 2015, and is released on a $100,000 bond.

The indictment charges SAUCIER with one count of unauthorized retention of defense information, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000, and one count of obstruction of justice, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000.

U.S. Attorney Daly stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vanessa Richards and Jacabed Rodriguez-Coss, with the assistance of Justice Department’s National Security Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York.