U.S. Army's first transgender officer indicted on spying charges

Department of Justice

The U.S. Army’s first transgender officer and “her” wife have been indicted over an attempt to pass sensitive medical records of senior military officers to Russia. They were busted by an FBI agent posing as a Russian agent. 

The duo face charges of conspiracy and wrongful disclosure of individually identifiable health information. 

According to the Department of Justice, Major Jamie Lee Henry, 39, and Dr. Anna Gabrielian, 36, stand accused of using their security clearance at Fort Bragg in North Carolina to steal patient medical records from the hospital. 

The duo were indicted for attempting to pass the medical information of senior military officers and their families to the Russian government. The indictment, which was unsealed on Thursday, shows that Gabrielian and her husband, who identifies as transgender, stole the files. 

They communicated and met with an undercover FBI agent who posed as a Russian agent, whom they believed worked for the Russian embassy. 

“My point of view is until the United States actually declares war against Russia, I'm able to help as much as I want,” Henry allegedly said to the undercover agent in an August meeting, the Daily Mail reported. “At that point, I'll have some ethical issues I'll have to work through.”

“You'll work through those ethical issues,” Gabrielian allegedly replied, calling her husband a “coward” over his concerns for breaking the HIPPA law that protects medical confidentiality. 

Henry, the Army’s first trans officer, came out as trans in 2015, becoming the first known active-duty Army officer to be openly transgender. Henry, who uses she/her pronouns, praised Army leadership for accepting “her” lifestyle. 

“My commander said, 'I don't care who you love, I don't care how you identify, I want you to be healthy and I want you to be able to do your job,’" Henry told Buzzfeed. 

The Daily Mail reported:

Gabrielian allegedly told the agent that Henry had not only access to medical information at the military base, but also insight on how America was training the military to provide assistance to Ukraine. 

During that meeting, Henry allegedly told the agent that she had tried to enlist to fight for Russia against Ukraine. 

'Henry explained to the [undercover agent that they were] committed to assisting Russia, and he had looked into volunteering to join the Russian Army after the conflict in Ukraine began, but Russia wanted people with 'combat experience,' and he did not have any,' the indictment said.

Both Gabrielian and Henry face 15 years in prison if they are convicted of both charges.