US Charges Former L3Harris Cyber Director with Selling Trade Secrets to Russian Buyer

Peter Williams, former general manager of Trenchant, the cybersecurity division of defense contractor L3Harris, has been charged by the U.S. Department of Justice with stealing eight trade secrets from two unnamed companies and selling them to a Russian buyer for $1.3 million. The DOJ alleges that Williams committed these thefts between April 2022 and August 2025 and is seeking to seize assets he acquired from these alleged illegal activities, including luxury items and funds in multiple accounts. Trenchant, which develops offensive cyber tools and supports national security operations for allied governments, including Five Eyes members, is not accused of wrongdoing in the case. Williams, an Australian citizen residing in Washington, D.C., faces an arraignment and possible plea deal scheduled for October 29, 2025. The case follows an internal investigation at Trenchant related to leaks of hacking tools, though the specific nature of the stolen trade secrets and the identity of the Russian buyer remain undisclosed. Neither L3Harris nor Trenchant have publicly commented on the allegations, and Williams' attorney has declined to comment as well.