# Submarine Spy Scandal **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 12, 2021, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarine-spy-scandal/952377 "2021-10-12T22:55:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2021, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarine-spy-scandal/952377/102 "2021-10-26T21:47:24Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I just finally watched it because of this thread. Very good film! The Frances McDormand and Brad Pitt characters in the film could have been modeled on the couple in this submarine escapade – except that the film came first. ---
**Author:** ![gnarator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gnarator/32/8266_2.png) [@gnarator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnarator)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2021, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarine-spy-scandal/952377/103 "2021-10-26T21:57:50Z")
> [@abcdefghij](#): > > I served 30 years ago and the keel of my boat was laid nearly 30 years before that. Everything I know was subject to mandatory declassification ages ago. I still have never told anything of substance, because it’s none of my business to divulge that information. > > The publicly acknowledged basic operating parameters for submarines were relaxed right after I got out. I still say “greater than 400 feet, greater than 20 knots”, because that’s all I’m certain I’m allowed to say, never mind anything you might see in Jane’s or flipping Wikipedia. It’s called the “silent service” for a reason, and it’s not because the boats don’t make a lot of noise. My dad was a nuclear machinist’s mate, and he wouldn’t even say what [boat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Narwhal_(SSN-671)) he was working on when I was born, until it was decommissioned and cut up for scrap. He still gives vague responses if you ask him anything specific about it. ---
**Author:** ![abcdefghij](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/43a26b/32.png) [@abcdefghij](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abcdefghij)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2021, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarine-spy-scandal/952377/104 "2021-10-26T23:24:20Z")
> [@gnarator](#): > > My dad was a nuclear machinist’s mate, and he wouldn’t even say what [boat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Narwhal_(SSN-671)) he was working on when I was born, until it was decommissioned and cut up for scrap. I trained on the prototype for the Narwhal and… um… yeah… ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarine-spy-scandal/952377/105 "2021-10-27T21:24:01Z")
> [@abcdefghij](#): > > I agree with @Mr.E. We’re not talking about finding the unshielded exhaust port on the Death Star, here. > > Don’t get me wrong. This information is classified and these bozos should rot in a hole for trying to sell it. > > I served 30 years ago and the keel of my boat was laid nearly 30 years before that. Everything I know was subject to mandatory declassification ages ago. I still have never told anything of substance, because it’s none of my business to divulge that information. > > The publicly acknowledged basic operating parameters for submarines were relaxed right after I got out. I still say “greater than 400 feet, greater than 20 knots”, because that’s all I’m certain I’m allowed to say, never mind anything you might see in Jane’s or flipping Wikipedia. It’s called the “silent service” for a reason, and it’s not because the boats don’t make a lot of noise. The silent service — that’s why I mentioned the Toshiba Machine fiasco upthread. They sold the technology for milling and machining the submarine propellers, the precise designs of them that limited cavitation (I think that’s what it’s called) and allowed our subs to run quieter, to the Soviets. ETA — I know you were talking about the sailors, but, yeah. ---
**Author:** ![abcdefghij](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/43a26b/32.png) [@abcdefghij](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abcdefghij)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarine-spy-scandal/952377/106 "2021-10-27T22:29:30Z")
Toshiba and the Walkers can both go straight to hell, do not collect $200. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarine-spy-scandal/952377/107 "2021-10-27T22:30:01Z")
> [@abcdefghij](#): > > go straight to hell, do not collect $200. That’s a good one! ~Max ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2022, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarine-spy-scandal/952377/108 "2022-02-15T00:06:41Z")
Bump. [He took the plea deal.](https://www.nbcnews.com/investigations/ex-navy-engineer-accused-selling-submarine-secrets-pleads-guilty-rcna16166) Still no word on what country he thought he was dealing with. I am still betting on Australia. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2022, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarine-spy-scandal/952377/109 "2022-02-20T12:10:03Z")
They have both plead guilty. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2022, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarine-spy-scandal/952377/110 "2022-02-21T03:30:18Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > It’s call part of the “idiot trilogy” for a reason. 🙂 Oh! What is the other one? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2022, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarine-spy-scandal/952377/111 "2022-02-21T14:32:23Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Oh! What is the other one? Well, technically, I think there are four films in the trilogy. Which sounds idiotic, I know. Burn After Reading O Brother, Where Art Thou? Intolerable Cruelty and maybe Hail Ceasar! ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarine-spy-scandal/952377/112 "2022-03-16T09:08:37Z")
Who had [Brazil](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/15/us/politics/submarine-spy-brazil.html) in the betting for which embassy was involved? ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarine-spy-scandal/952377/113 "2022-03-16T12:26:48Z")
They wanted to be brazillionaires. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarine-spy-scandal/952377/114 "2022-03-16T16:04:02Z")
NYTimes says I’ve run out of free articles, but the Chicago Tribune let me in. > **[Submarine Spy Couple Tried to Sell Nuclear Secrets to Brazil](https://www.chicagotribune.com/nation-world/ct-aud-nw-nyt-submarine-spy-couple-20220316-znh35po4eneqxjqtvabt4rnr5i-story.html)** > > Jonathan and Diana Toebbe pleaded guilty last month in the espionage case, but until now the identity of the nation they had approached had remained publicly undisclosed. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarine-spy-scandal/952377/115 "2022-03-16T21:38:27Z")
> [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](#): > > Who had [Brazil](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/15/us/politics/submarine-spy-brazil.html) in the betting for which embassy was involved? Not me. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarine-spy-scandal/952377/116 "2022-03-16T21:51:11Z")
Oooh, so close! I had Paraguay. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarine-spy-scandal/952377/117 "2022-03-16T21:53:47Z")
> [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](#): > > Who had [Brazil](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/15/us/politics/submarine-spy-brazil.html) in the betting for which embassy was involved? That would be… you! Congratulations! > [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](#): > > Also, if your handler claims to be a **Brazilian** (or whatever) quiz him to make sure he really is. ~Max ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarine-spy-scandal/952377/118 "2022-03-16T22:00:01Z")
NVM thought i was in the pit ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2022, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarine-spy-scandal/952377/119 "2022-03-17T14:17:23Z")
> [@Max\_S](#): > > That would be… you! Congratulations! I was joking. I thought it would have been Australia. Frankly, I have not been monitoring the naval situation in South America with the vigor required. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2022, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarine-spy-scandal/952377/120 "2022-03-19T22:04:01Z")
Liechtenstein didn’t offer enough cryptocurrency. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2022, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarine-spy-scandal/952377/121 "2022-11-11T10:39:40Z")
> [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](#): > > They will certainly have the book thrown at them [That was an understatement.](https://news.yahoo.com/diana-toebbe-harsher-sentence-wife-013243339.html) They reached a plea deal. The judge rejected it as too lenient. It called for 17 years for the husband and three years for the wife. The judge decided the wife was the driving force in this crime. She got 21 years. He got 19. “Gee thanks, Honey.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/submarine-spy-scandal/952377.md?page=5)