A former defense contractor from South Dakota was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for trying to provide classified U.S. Air Force information to Russia, the Justice Department announced on Monday.
According to the DOJ, John Murray Rowe Jr., 67, worked nearly four decades as a test engineer for cleared defense contractors, holding “secret” and “top secret” security clearances.
His assignments included Air Force electronic warfare systems, giving him access to sensitive details about fighter jet countermeasures.
According to court documents, beginning in March 2020, Rowe exchanged more than 300 emails and met twice with an undercover FBI agent he believed was a Russian operative.
In those communications, prosecutors said, he declared he was “not loyal to the United States” and shared classified information. In one email, Rowe wrote, “If I can’t get a job [in the United States] then I’ll go work for the other team.”
He continued discussing classified material during recorded prison calls after his December 2021 arrest.
“Despite his knowledge, training, experience, and decades of work as a military contractor, Rowe chose to betray the trust placed in him by his country,” said U.S. Attorney David Metcalf of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “His repeated, willful efforts to harm the U.S. by divulging sensitive defense information to an adversary are inexcusable. My office and our partners will continue to hold fully accountable anyone seeking to compromise the national security of the United States.”
Aside from the prison term, Rowe was also sentenced to a $25,000 fine for attempted espionage.
