U.S. government accuses former L3Harris cyber boss of stealing trade secrets

The U.S. government has launched a serious case against a former high-ranking official at L3Harris, alleging that he engaged in the theft of trade secrets intended for a buyer in Russia. Court documents reviewed by TechCrunch detail the accusations against Peter Williams, who is claimed to have pilfered eight trade secrets from two undisclosed companies. On October 14, the Department of Justice formally charged Williams in a document known as 'criminal information,' which outlines claims of wrongdoing similar to an indictment. However, the document lacks specifics about Williams' connections to the companies involved, the nature of the stolen secrets, or the identity of the Russian buyer. Williams, who held the position of general manager at Trenchant—a division of L3Harris known for creating hacking and surveillance technologies for Western governments—has been under scrutiny. His tenure at Trenchant lasted from October 23, 2024, until August 21, 2025, according to business records in the U.K. The 39-year-old Australian citizen was residing in Washington D.C. at the time of the allegations. Four former employees of Trenchant had previously indicated to TechCrunch that Williams, nicknamed 'Doogie' within the company, had faced arrest. A spokesperson for the Justice Department confirmed that Williams is not currently in federal custody. Allegations specify that between April 2022 and June 2025, Williams misappropriated seven trade secrets, with the eighth occurring between June and August 6, 2025. The DOJ claims that his actions resulted in a profit of approximately $1.3 million from the sale of these secrets, prompting the department to seek the forfeiture of his assets. An arraignment and plea agreement hearing is set for October 29 in Washington D.C. Meanwhile, the FBI and the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia have not responded to multiple inquiries regarding the case. Furthermore, the Australian Signals Directorate has refrained from commenting, noting that this is an active law enforcement issue. Earlier this week, TechCrunch reported that Trenchant is investigating a potential leak of its hacking tools, with a former developer claiming that they were wrongfully accused of leaking sensitive information. This individual alleged that Trenchant had been looking for a scapegoat and expressed innocence regarding the leaks. The intricate nature of the company’s operations, which compartmentalizes employee access based on their specific roles, adds complexity to the ongoing situation. However, it remains unclear if the recent leak investigation is connected to the federal accusations against Williams.