US soldier accused of spying for Russia identified: Source
Lt. Col. Brandon Tyner was entrusted with sensitive information, a source said.
The U.S. soldier who officials say was entrusted with sensitive information and was arrested in the United Kingdom on suspicion of spying for Russia is 41-year-old Lt. Col. Brandon Tyner, according to a source familiar with the investigation.
Tyner, 41, was taken into custody Tuesday near Gloucester, England, as part of a British counterterrorism investigation, according to U.S. and British officials. U.S. Army officials said the officer had been entrusted with sensitive information.
ABC News has not been able to reach Tyner. It is unclear if he has retained a lawyer.
Tyner was assigned to Imjin Barracks in the United Kingdom, a military garrison that is home to the headquarters of NATO's Allied Rapid Response Corps, which manages plans for ground troops in case of a crisis.
Tyner's identity was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Tyner, an Afghanistan war veteran, has held numerous high-profile personnel assignments throughout his more than two-decade Army career, according to a LinkedIn account matching his name. British law enforcement officials said the investigation involves suspected violations of the National Security Act of 2023, a law aimed at combating espionage and foreign interference.
It remains unclear exactly what Tyner is accused of doing. He is expected to be formally charged by British authorities in the coming days and subsequently face separate charges from the U.S. Army, according to a source familiar with the matter.
U.S. troops convicted of crimes in allied countries can serve prison sentences abroad before facing separate prosecution in the American military justice system, according to Army court records, which, could mean a second trial and, if convicted, an additional sentence in a U.S. military prison.
U.S. troops convicted of espionage-related crimes have often been junior or mid-level service members, according to Army data, with financial gain a common motive. Cases involving senior officers are less common, and those ranks typically have greater access to sensitive military information that could be particularly valuable to foreign adversaries, though it's unclear what specific information Tyner had access to.
Brig. Gen. Sean Stinchon, who leads U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command, said in a statement following the arrest that the case is, "a sobering reminder that insider threats are real and persistent."
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