31-year old Navy pilot and Top Gun graduate Daniel Harris—now behind bars on child porn charges– is accused of offering military secrets to Chinese officials if they “broke him out of jail.”
According to his defense attorney, Mr. Harris denies sending the letter, which was written on the back of a flight schedule from Strike Fighter Weapons School Atlantic at Naval Air Station Oceana, Va. Forensics show Harris wrote the letter addressed to the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., according to USA Today.
In the letter he states: “My country, that I have faithfully served since 2001, found me guilty of 31 felonies that I did not commit. And to make it worse they took my wife and children from me. So if they no longer believe in me, then I no longer believe in them.” The author, identified as Harris, goes on to say, he will reveal “all of his knowledge of just about every fighter jet, missile, and radar in the U.S. inventory, as well as knowledge of pilot training, threat assessments and carrier operations.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Yusi says she came across the documents in anticipation of Harris’ sentencing Monday. Prosecutors say they submitted the letter to illustrate Harris’ “manipulative, destructive behavior.”
Harris, sentenced to 50 years in prison in a Virginia federal court, was convicted of posing online as a teenage boy to convince young teen girls to send racy pictures. Prosecutors say Harris then extorted the girls to send him more, sexually explicit images and videos under the threat that he would otherwise send the initial images to family and friends.
Prosecutors have not decided whether to pursue charges in regard to the March 26 letter, which was written 17 days after Harris’ conviction, according to the report.
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