Chief Petty Officer Bryce S. Pedicini, a US sailor stationed in Japan aboard the USS Higgins (DDG-76), was found guilty on charges of attempted espionage, failure to obey a lawful order, and attempted violation of a lawful general order. The verdict was delivered at a general court martial, and Pedicini is scheduled to be sentenced on May 7.
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) released a statement expressing that the guilty verdict holds Pedicini accountable for betraying his country and fellow service members. NCIS Director Omar Lopez emphasized the relentless efforts of adversaries to undermine the military superiority of the United States.
Pedicini was accused of multiple counts of espionage and transmitting defense information earlier this year, along with the failure to report a foreign contact or solicitation for classified information. The charges stemmed from incidents while he was serving on the USS Higgins, including the unauthorized transportation of classified information and attempts to transfer photographs of a classified computer screen to a foreign government.
According to the Navy charge sheet, Pedicini provided classified information to a foreign government employee on multiple occasions, starting in November 2022 while stationed in Norfolk, Virginia. However, the specific foreign government involved was not disclosed in the charge sheet.
Originally from Tennessee, Pedicini enlisted in the Navy in 2008 and had served on two other destroyers before being assigned to the USS Higgins. He held the rank of chief fire controlman and had received several medals and commendations during his career. CNN has reached out to Pedicini's attorney for comment but has not received a response from the Navy's Judge Advocate General's office.
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