A Navy sailor based in Japan was convicted by a military court on Friday for attempted espionage.
In February, Chief Petty Officer Bryce Pedicini, a fire controlman, faced eight espionage-related charges. He was accused of allegedly sharing documents with an employee of a foreign government from November 2022 to May 2023.
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The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) has issued a statement confirming that after a week-long trial, he has been convicted of attempted espionage, failure to comply with a lawful order, and attempted violation of a lawful general order.
NCIS Director Omar Lopez stated that the guilty verdict serves as a means to hold Mr. Pedicini accountable for his betrayal of his country and fellow service members. He further emphasized that adversaries of the United States constantly strive to undermine the nation’s military superiority.
NCIS is committed to its mission of deterring, disrupting, and defeating the ongoing threat posed by foreign intelligence entities. Despite the fact that the majority of Department of the Navy service members are dedicated and honorable public servants, NCIS remains steadfast in its dedication to uncovering those who are not. According to Lopez, “The American public can take comfort in the knowledge that NCIS will not waver in its efforts to protect and defend.”
According to NCIS, they found through their investigation that Pedicini had been providing classified and national defense information to an employee of a foreign government since November 2022. NCIS stated that Pedicini had knowledge that this act would be detrimental to the United States and beneficial to the foreign nation.
NCIS did not specify which foreign nation he was engaging with.
According to the service, Pedicini, who was previously assigned to the USS Higgins, used the pretense of writing research papers to convey the information.
He was detained by NCIS on May 19, 2023, and a military judge will sentence him on May 7.
The Hill has contacted the Navy’s Judge Advocate General to seek a comment from Pedicini’s attorney.
