UPDATE: U.S. Sailor convicted of attempted espionage by military court
HAMPTON ROADS, Va. — The U.S. Military has accused a Navy Sailor of espionage in Hampton Roads.
Bryce Pedicini, a Japan-based Chief Petty Officer Fire Controlman assigned to the USS Higgins (DDG 76), is accused of sharing classified information with an employee of a foreign government, according to a charge sheet obtained by News 3.
This happened about seven times in Hampton Roads between November 2022, when he was stationed in Norfolk, and February 2023, the documents state. Before he was assigned to the USS Higgins, Pedicini was stationed at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center in Norfolk from February 2022 until March 2023, according to the Navy.
Cmdr. Arlo Abrahamson, a spokesperson for the Naval Surface Force, confirmed that the Navy is investigating Pedicini.
"A Sailor assigned to the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins (DDG 76) is suspected of mishandling classified documents and information. The incident remains under investigation and legal proceedings continue," said Cmdr. Abrahamson.
Specifics on the alleged espionage are unclear. However, in the charge sheet, the Navy claims Pedicini tried to pass on photos, including ones of a SIPR (Secret Internet Protocol Router) computer screen, to a foreign national while he was in Japan in May 2023.
Pedicini is also facing charges of failing to report a foreign contact, failing to report solicitation of classified information and wrongfully taking a personal device into a secure room, according to the documents.
Pedicini has been taken into custody and remains in pre-trial confinement.
Stay with News 3 for updates.
