Maryland couple plead guilty in submarine secrets sale case

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A U.S. Navy nuclear engineer and his wife have entered new guilty pleas in a case in West Virginia involving the sale of secrets about nuclear submarines.

Jonathan and Diana Toebbe appeared in federal court Tuesday a month after their previous plea agreements that had called for specific sentencing options were rejected. They now each face a maximum penalty of life in prison. The Maryland couple pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to communicate restricted data.

Prosecutors say Jonathan Toebbe abused his access to top-secret government information and repeatedly sold details about submarine design elements and performance characteristics.

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