The Justice Department alleges that Peter Williams conspired to steal and sell eight trade secrets between April 2022 and August 2025.<\/b>
\ndefense contractor that develops hacking tools and spyware may have had its secrets leaked to Russia.
Last week, the Justice Department quietly filed a document that accuses US resident Peter Williams of stealing trade secrets from two unnamed companies to sell them to a buyer in Russia. According to TechCrunch, Williams was a former general manager at Trenchant, a company under Florida-based defense contractor L3Harris. Recommended by Our Editors
Trenchant’s website says it focuses on \u201cvulnerability and exploit research\u201d and \u201cdevice and access capabilities», in addition to intelligence operations. L3Harris also formed Trenchant after acquiring Azimuth Security and Linchpin Labs, which were known to develop tools capable of hacking iPhones and Android devices using software vulnerabilities.
The five-page DoJ filing alleges that Williams conspired to steal and sell eight trade secrets between April 2022 and August 2025. It doesn\u2019t reveal much else, such as what might have been stolen. However, US investigators are seeking to seize $1.3 million from Williams, along with a house in Washington, DC, and dozens of premium wristwatches, as part of a request for a forfeiture judgment.
L3Harris declined to comment on the case. UK records show that Williams is an Australian national and started working as a director at Trenchant in October 2024 before resigning in August. TechCrunch reports that Trenchant is also investigating a leak involving its tools.<\/p>\n