A Lead, South Dakota, man is sentenced to over 10 years in federal prison for attempted espionage.
The Department of Justice said 67-year-old John Murray Rowe attempted to deliver classified information to the Russian government.
He worked as a test engineer for multiple cleared defense contractors for nearly four decades. He worked on matters relating to U.S. Air Force electronic warfare technology.
In 2020, Rowe disclosed secret defense information to an undercover FBI agent who he believed to be a Russian agent. Over the next eight months he continued to disclose classified information and confirmed his willingness to work for the Russian government in over 300 emails.
After multiple security violations he was identified as a potential insider threat and terminated.
Rowe pleaded guilty to the charges in April 2024.
