A Hawaii couple is accused of conspiring against the U.S. The two are seen in photographs wearing uniforms of a Russian spy agency.

Ryan Robertson Anchor/Investigative Reporter

Hawaii couple accused of conspiracy against US

Jul 28, 2022

Ryan Robertson Anchor/Investigative Reporter

By Ryan Robertson (Anchor/Investigative Reporter)

A Hawaii couple in its 60s was arrested last week. The two are accused of stealing identities and working to conspire against the U.S. government.

According to unsealed court documents in Honolulu, Walter Glenn Primrose and Gwynn Darle Morrison lived on the island of Oahu under the stolen identities Bobby Edward Fort and Julie Lyn Montague, respectively.

According to federal prosecutors, they’re also Russian spies.

Primrose and Morrison were arrested on July 22 and are now charged with conspiracy to commit an offense against the U.S., false statement in passport application and aggravated identity theft.

Polaroids of the couple wearing the uniform of the KGB, the former Russian spy agency, were also filed as evidence.

Records indicate in 1987, while still living in Texas, the couple assumed the identities of dead kids and filed for passports and other government documents.

Primrose used the fake identity to enlist in the U.S. Coast Guard, where he had a security clearance and worked as an avionics electrical technician. Primrose retired from the Coast Guard in 2016 and then started working as a defense contractor.

The knowledge Primrose gained while working with the Coast Guard and as a defense contractor is considered to be enormously valuable to enemies of the U.S.

A lawyer representing the couple said the people aren’t spies, that the polaroids of them wearing a Russian spy agency’s uniform were taken in jest, and that even if the couple used new identities, they’ve lived law-abiding lives for three decades.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

STOLEN IDENTITIES. TOP SECRET CLEARANCES. RUSSIAN SPIES. IT’S BEEN QUITE A RIDE FOR A HAWAII COUPLE IN THEIR 60’S.

WALTER PRIMROSE AND GWYNN MORRISON LIVED ON THE ISLAND OF OAHU, UNDER THE STOLEN IDENTITIES BOBBY FORT AND JULIE LYN MONTAGUE.

ACCORDING TO FEDERAL PROSECUTORS, THEY’RE ALSO RUSSIAN SPIES.

PRIMROSE AND MORRISON ARE CHARGED WITH CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT AN OFFENSE AGAINST THE U.S., FALSE STATEMENT IN PASSPORT APPLICATION AND AGGRAVATED IDENTITY THEFT.

POLAROIDS OF THE COUPLE WEARING RUSSIAN KGB UNIFORMS WERE ALSO FILED AS EVIDENCE.

RECORDS INDICATE IN 1987, WHILE STILL LIVING IN TEXAS, THE COUPLE ASSUMED THE IDENTITIES OF DEAD KIDS AND FILED FOR PASSPORTS AND OTHER GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS.

PRIMROSE USED THE FAKE IDENTITY TO ENLIST IN THE U.S. COAST GUARD, WHERE HE HAD A SECURITY CLEARENCE WORKING AS AN AVIONICS ELECTRICAL TECHNICIAN. PRIMROSE RETIRED FROM THE COAST GUARD IN 2016 AND THEN STARTED WORKING AS A DEFENSE CONTRACTOR.

THE KNOWLEDGE PRIMROSE GAINED WHILE WORKING WITH THE COAST GUARD AND AS A DEFENSE CONTRACTOR IS CONSIDERED TO BE ENORMOUSLY VALUABLE TO ENEMIES OF THE U.S.

A LAWYER REPRESENTING THE COUPLE SAID THEY AREN’T SPIES… THAT THE POLAROIDS OF THEM WEARING A RUSSIAN SPY AGENCY’S UNIFORM WERE TAKEN IN JEST… AND THAT EVEN IF THE COUPLE USED NEW IDENTITIES, THEY’VE LIVED LAW-ABIDING LIVES FOR THREE DECADES.