LOS ANGELES
A Culver City, California, man was arrested Thursday on federal charges of economic espionage and violations of the Arms Export Control Act for his attempts to sell sensitive satellite information to a person he believed to be a foreign intelligence agent, according to officials.
Gregory Allen Justice, 49, who worked for a cleared defense contractor as an engineer on military and commercial satellites during his alleged crimes, was arrested by FBI special agents.
He made his initial appearance yesterday afternoon in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California where the judge ordered him detained pending trial.
“Our nation’s security depends on the honesty and integrity of those entrusted with our technological secrets,” said U.S. Attorney Eileen Decker. “In this case, the defendant sought to undermine our national security by attempting to sell proprietary and controlled information about satellites to a foreign government’s intelligence service. Fortunately, law enforcement agents were able to timely and effectively intervene to protect this critical technology.”
“Mr. Justice allegedly placed his own interests of greed over our national security by providing information on sensitive U.S. technologies to a person whom he believed was a foreign agent,” said Assistant Attorney General John P. Carlin.
Adding,“In the wrong hands, this information could be used to harm the United States and its allies. The National Security Division will continue to relentlessly identify, pursue and prosecute offenders that threaten our national security. I would like to thank the FBI and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations for their efforts in protecting our nation’s most sensitive information.”
According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Justice stole proprietary trade secret materials from his employer and provided them to a person whom he believed to be a representative of a foreign intelligence service, but who was in fact an FBI undercover agent.
In addition to their proprietary nature, the documents had technical data covered by the U.S. Munitions List and therefore controlled for export from the United States under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, according to the allegations. In exchange for providing these materials, Justice allegedly received cash payments.
The defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
If convicted, Justice faces up to 15 years in federal prison for the economic espionage charge and up to 20 years in federal prison for violating the Arms Export Control Act, according to officials.