Florida Resident Sentenced for Accessing and Removing Classified Information from Military Computers

Christopher R. Glenn, 34, a South Florida Resident, was sentenced on July 31, 2015, to 120 months of imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Kenneth A. Marra of the Southern District of Florida following his guilty plea for willful retention of classified national defense information under the Espionage Act, computer intrusion under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and conspiracy to commit naturalization fraud.

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office made the announcement.

“Christopher Glenn exploited his position as a cleared military contractor and systems administrator to steal classified U.S. military secrets,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin.  “In doing so, he violated the unique trust placed in him by the Department of Defense.  Insider threats by trusted employees who exploit computer access are a significant danger to U.S. national security and this sentencing shows it will not be tolerated.”

“The defendant exploited and violated the special trust placed in him as a computer network system administrator working at a United States military base, in order to penetrate the computer system and steal classified materials,” said U.S. Attorney Ferrer.  “We will continue to investigate and prosecute insider threats to national security and we will bring those violators to justice.”

According to court records, while working as a computer systems administrator at Soto Cano Air Base in Honduras, Glenn accessed a classified Department of Defense network without authorization and removed classified national defense information from Department of Defense and U.S. Southern Command’s (SOUTHCOM’s) Joint Task Force-Bravo, including intelligence reports and military plans.  Glenn proceeded to encrypt the files and place them on an Internet-accessible network storage device located in his residence in Honduras.

Glenn also conspired with his wife, Khadraa A. Glenn, 28, to commit naturalization fraud for her benefit by fabricating fraudulent documents and submitting false statements and the documents to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).  Khadraa A. Glenn previously pleaded guilty to naturalization fraud conspiracy and was sentenced on Oct. 7, 2014.

Assistant Attorney General Carlin and U.S. Attorney Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI, U.S. Army’s 470th Military Intelligence Brigade, U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigations Division, SOUTHCOM, USCIS, IRS-CI, the Department of Homeland Security and the South Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ricardo Del Toro of the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Christian Ford of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.