A media-praised transgender major in the U.S. Army, and their spouse, a Johns Hopkins anesthesiologist, have been federally indicted for allegedly trying to leak medical information on U.S. Military members to the Russian government.
The pair reportedly provided sensitive medical information on military members and their families to someone the couple thought was from the Russian embassy, but was actually an undercover FBI agent, the Baltimore Banner reported Thursday afternoon. Jamie Lee Henry and Anna Gabrielian are charged with conspiracy and wrongful disclosure of individually identifiable health information.
As a doctor at Fort Bragg, Jamie Lee Henry, who identifies as a transgender woman, had a secret security clearance, and used the access to try to help Russia, according to the indictment.
During one meeting with an undercover fed on August 17, Gabrielian, a Johns Hopkins anesthesiologist, reportedly said “she was motivated by patriotism toward Russia to provide any assistance she could to Russia, even if it meant being fired or going to jail,” the indictment said.
“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 reportedly told the agent. “At that point, I’ll have some ethical issues I’ll have to work through.”
The pair allegedly handed over sensitive information to the undercover officer during a meeting on August 31, the document outlined.
“Gabrielian highlighted to the [undercover agent] a medical issue reflected in the records of [the military member’s spouse] that Russia could exploit,” it said, while Henry allegedly provided medical information on five patients at Fort Bragg and spouses of active and deceased Army veterans, according to the Baltimore Banner.
Henry landed praise from the media in 2015 as the “first out transgender active duty U.S. Army officer.”
“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 about coming out as trans. “I was blown away … because of the stereotypes that I held, growing up in the South, growing up in a fundamentalist Christian family, that he would automatically think I was a freak, he would automatically think, ‘You need to be discharged just like the regs recommend.’”
During the profile, Henry said being trans improved their medical skills. “I find my trans experience has allowed me to relate to people, because all of us suffer, and I could relate to people’s suffering,” the officer said. “I’m able to comfort people that feel isolated and lost and alone and broken. I can sit down with them and look them in the eyes, and say, ‘I can walk with you through this. I care about you, and I mean it.’”
