L3Harris executive allegedly sold stolen trade secrets

TechCrunch reports that the Department of Justice has charged former L3Harris executive Peter Williams over the alleged theft of eight trade secrets from two unnamed firms between 2022 and 2025 and peddling them to a Russian buyer, earning over $1.3 million in the process.

Records show that Williams, an Australian citizen who resided in Washington, D.C., headed Trenchant, an L3Harris division that produces hacking and surveillance tools for allied governments, from October 2024 to August 2025. It remains unclear if the stolen data involved that subsidiary, and the supposed Russian recipient has not been identified.

Authorities, however, are seeking to seize property and assets tied to the profits Williams allegedly made from the sale. Four former employees said Williams, known internally as "Doogie," had been arrested, but federal officials later confirmed he is not in federal custody, and L3Harris has not responded to requests for comment on the case.