Robert Patrick Hoffman II, 39, was arrested Thursday morning on an attempted espionage charge.

According to federal authorities, the retired Navy submarine warfare specialist tried to give classified information on how to track U.S. submarines to people he thought were representatives of the Russian Federation. They were actually FBI undercover agents.

Hoffman appeared in federal court in Norfolk, Virginia, for an initial appearance.

The U.S. Attorney's Office says a judge granted his request for a court-appointed attorney.
He'll remain in jail pending a detention hearing on Tuesday.

Hoffman was a cryptologic technican and retried from the Navy in 2011.

He faces life in prison, if convicted.