Virginia Beach, VA (WBEN) A Buffalo native who retired from the Navy last year has been charged with attempted espionage.

39 year old Robert Patrick Hoffman, who now lives in Virginia Beach, is accused of trying to give classified information to people he believed to be Russian agents.

While serving in the Navy, Prosecutors say Hoffman held security clearances that granted him access to classified and national defense information relating to programs and operations in which he participated, and he repeatedly signed agreements to not disclose that sensitive information.

The indictment reads "on October 21, 2012, Hoffman attempted to deliver to the Russian Federation classified documents that revealed national security information. He is alleged to have carried out this activity with the intent to cause injury to the United States and to give an advantage to the Russian Federation. In fact, Hoffman delivered the information to the FBI, which was conducting an undercover operation, according to the indictment."