"A civilian electrical engineer for the Department of Defense appeared in federal court today on a charge of unauthorized removal and retention of classified material," the Department of Defense said in a press release.
Gokhan Gun, 50, of Virginia, possessed a top secret security clearance through his employment with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) and had received training on the proper handling and storage of classified information, the release said.
The release said, citing court documents, that on multiple occasions beginning at least in May 2024, Gun allegedly printed documents, some of which were marked classified, and took them without authorization. In August, the release said, federal investigators observed Gun exiting his workplace with a bag full of hard copy documents before entering two different residences owned by Gun in Virginia.
FBI agents executed search warrants for Gun’s two residences along with his vehicle and media storage devices, the release said, adding that they found multiple documents with visible classification markings, including pages bearing Top Secret and SCI classification markings.
If convicted, Gun faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, according to the release.