Pacific Command contractor charged in espionage case

[InfoSec News <alerts () infosecnews org>]

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/21676306/pacific-command-contractor-charged-with-spying

Hawaii News Now
March 19, 2013

A defense contractor living in Kapolei is accused of leaking U.S. military 
secrets. The Army reservist with a top secret security clearance allegedly 
shared classified data with his girlfriend who is a Chinese national. Court 
documents revealed that Benjamin Pierce Bishop, 59, met the 27-year-old in 
Hawaii at a conference on international military defense. Investigators said 
the woman may have been at the conference to target individuals who have access 
to classified information. According to sources, Bishop works for defense 
contractor Referentia Systems Incorporated at the U.S. Pacific Command.

"Mr. Bishop was arrested last Friday at the U.S. Pacific Command headquarters 
here in Honolulu without any incident," said U.S. Attorney Florence Nakakuni.

According to an affidavit by an FBI special agent, Bishop leaked classified 
information to the woman who is living in the U.S. on a student visa. Bishop is 
accused of hiding their romantic relationship from the U.S. government. One 
email allegedly contained data on existing war plans, nuclear weapons, and 
relations with international partners. He is also accused of discussing 
detection of foreign ballistic missiles and the deployment of early warning 
radar systems in the Pacific Rim.

"The arrest of Mr. Bishop is just the first step in what is going to be a long 
process, and we are actively continuing the investigation to determine the 
roles of all those involved in this case," Nakakuni said.

[...]


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