Ex-L3Harris Cyber Chief Accused of Selling Secrets to Russia

Former L3Harris Executive Accused of Trade Secret Theft

According to legal documents reviewed by TechCrunch, the United States government alleges that a former executive from defense contractor L3Harris engaged in the theft of proprietary information and its subsequent sale to an individual located in Russia.

Department of Justice Allegations

On October 14th, the Department of Justice formally accused Peter Williams of misappropriating eight trade secrets from two companies that remain unidentified. This accusation was made through a “criminal information” filing, representing a formal charge of criminal activity.

The specifics of Williams’ connections to these two organizations, the nature of the stolen trade secrets, and the identity of the purported Russian purchaser are not detailed within the document.

Williams' Employment History

TechCrunch has verified that the Peter Williams referenced in the documentation – which does not disclose his previous employer – is indeed the former general manager of Trenchant, a division of L3Harris. This division specializes in the creation of hacking and surveillance technologies for governments in the Western world, including the United States.

Records from the U.K. indicate that Williams assumed the role of general manager at Trenchant on October 23, 2024, and remained in that position until August 21, 2025.

The court documents show Williams, a 39-year-old citizen of Australia, was residing in Washington, D.C.

Previous Reports and Current Status

Prior to this, four former Trenchant employees had informed TechCrunch of Williams’ arrest.

A Justice Department representative confirmed to TechCrunch on Thursday that Williams is currently not held in federal custody.

Details of the Alleged Theft and Financial Gain

The DOJ alleges that Williams stole seven trade secrets between April 2022 and June 2025, and an additional trade secret between June and August 6, 2025.

The government contends that Williams profited $1.3 million from the sale of these trade secrets, and is therefore seeking forfeiture of any property obtained through these alleged illicit activities.

Responses to Inquiries

A spokesperson for L3Harris did not provide a response to a request for comment before publication.

John Rowley, Williams’ legal counsel, declined to offer any statements when contacted by TechCrunch on Thursday.

Lack of Response from Other Agencies

Multiple requests for comment directed to the FBI and the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, where Williams’ case is being handled, went unanswered on Thursday. This lack of response is potentially attributable to the ongoing federal government shutdown stemming from a lapse in funding.

The FBI previously declined to comment on the matter when approached by TechCrunch in September. Similarly, the Australian Signals Directorate stated that the situation falls under the purview of law enforcement and therefore they could not provide a statement.

Upcoming Court Date

An arraignment and plea agreement hearing has been scheduled for October 29th in Washington, D.C.

Background on Trenchant

In 2018, L3Harris completed the acquisition of Azimuth and Linchpin Labs, two affiliated startups. These companies specialized in the development of zero-day exploits and subsequently merged to form Trenchant.

Both companies catered to the intelligence-sharing alliance known as the Five Eyes, comprising the governments of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Recent Leak Investigation

Earlier this week, TechCrunch reported, based on information from four former Trenchant employees, that the company was conducting an internal investigation into a potential leak of its hacking tools.

One former exploit developer at Trenchant was suspected of being responsible for the leak, but vehemently denied any involvement.

Internal Disagreement Over Responsibility

The former developer asserted that Trenchant wrongly targeted him as the source of the leaks, specifically tools capable of exploiting vulnerabilities in Google Chrome. He maintained that he lacked access to such tools, as his work focused on iOS exploits.

Three other former employees corroborated this account, stating that Trenchant employs a system of compartmentalization, limiting employee access based on their specific areas of responsibility.

Connection to Current Case Unclear

It remains uncertain whether the ongoing leak investigation at Trenchant is connected to the federal accusations leveled against Williams.

Prosecution Details

The case against Williams is being led by the Counterintelligence and Export Control section of the DOJ National Security Division.