2) EMAIL ADDRESS FAIL: The FBI rapidly gained entry to the “nameless” e-mail account used to ship the message. They discovered that, on the day that this account was arrange, it obtained a message from a second e-mail account—presumably as a take a look at—which turned out to be one in every of Laatsch’s and contained his title as a part of the e-mail handle.
3) EMAIL ACCOUNT FAIL: This second e-mail account, when the FBI examined it, had been arrange utilizing Laatsch’s full title, date of delivery, and cellphone quantity.
4) IP ADDRESS FAIL: Each the primary and second e-mail account had been logged into from the identical IP handle, suggesting they have been managed by the identical particular person. And the IP handle that was used for them each resolved to… Laatsch’s residence.
The leaker did recommend shifting the dialog to an encrypted messaging platform, however the injury was already finished.
The FBI instantly started a sting operation, posing because the “pleasant nation,” asking Laatsch to repeat some juicy information and supply it in a “lifeless drop” at a park in northern Virginia. Laatsch allegedly then went in to work at DIA, utilizing his deep information of DIA computerized monitoring methods to keep away from detection by… copying secret paperwork into notebooks by hand, then ripping out the sheets of paper and stuffing them in his socks.
This seems to have labored nicely sufficient—apart from the truth that inner DIA “video monitoring” was watching him do it, with FBI brokers noting even the methods Laatsch tried to “cover his pocket book” when co-workers walked by. Whether or not Laatsch was conscious of this video monitoring system is unclear.
On Could 1, 2025, Laatsch allegedly wrote up his notes, saved them on a thumb drive, and dropped them as requested at an Alexandria park. The drive was later retrieved by the FBI. On Could 8, Laatsch advised his contact that he wasn’t looking for cash however “citizenship on your nation” as a result of he did not “count on issues right here to enhance in the long run, even within the occasion there’s a change sooner or later.”
Laatsch was arrested yesterday, Could 29.
