Former Special Forces Captain Pleads Guilty to Committing Espionage

Debbins is a former captain of the U.S. special forces. (Wikimedia Commons)

Former Green Beret Peter Rafael Dzibinski Debbins pleaded guilty to charges of espionage on November 18. Debbins was charged with divulging military secrets to Russia about his Special Force unit’s location in Eastern Europe while he was serving in the Army and working as a defense contractor. 

Debbins pleaded guilty under a federal Espionage Act at a hearing in a U.S. district court in Alexandria, VA. He could face life in prison when sentenced in February. 

Debbins initially established contact with Russia when he was a 19-year-old ROTC student at the University of Minnesota, and he was sent to Moscow in 1996 for an independent study program. Shortly after his time there, Debbins was assigned the code name “Ikar Leskinov” which was used for 15 years. His mother was also reportedly born in the former Soviet Union before going on active duty with the U.S. Army. 

Debbins told the Russians that he considered himself a “son of Russia.” He further expressed opinions that the U.S. was too large and it ought to be cut down in size and power. 

He joined the Army as an active duty officer in 1998 and served until 2005 before privately working for military contractors in counterintelligence roles, both career paths that Russian handlers encouraged. Over the course of his career in the military, Debbins was frequently granted top secret clearances. He further abused the terms of his access by sharing information about pending military projects and the activities of his units with Russian intelligence agents. 

"Debbins today acknowledged that he violated this country's highest trust by passing sensitive national security information to the Russians," said John Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. "Debbins betrayed his oath, his country, and his Special Forces team members with the intent to harm the United States and help Russia."

The indictment specifically points to incidents in Azerbaijan and Georgia, in which Debbins shared information with his handlers that was used to determine whether other Special Force officers could be persuaded to cooperate with Russia. Debbins reportedly nominated one such officer to conspire with Russian intelligence. 

In a hand-written confession filed in court, Debbins wrote, “I had a messianic vision for myself in Russia, that I was going to free them from their oppressive government, so I was flattered when they reached out to me.”

Debbins received periodical payments for his information. He also received gifts, such as cognac and a Russian military uniform. He admitted his motivation lay in potential opportunities to make business contacts in Russia as well as his anti-American political views. 

Last November, former CIA officer Jerry Chun Shing was sentenced to 19 years in prison on similar charges.