The U.S. attorney’s office in Connecticut has accused an engineer who worked for U.S. defense contractors of attempting to ship military documents to Iran, CNN reports.
The documents included material related to the U.S. Air Force's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program as well as military jet engines
Mozaffar Khazaee, a naturalized U.S. citizen who also holds Iranian citizenship, was arrested at Newark Liberty International Airport last week before he could board a flight to Frankfurt, Germany, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney's office. His ultimate destination was Tehran, Iran.
The 59-year-old engineer is accused of "transporting, transmitting and transferring in interstate or foreign commerce goods obtained by theft, conversion, or fraud."
Khazee apparently tried to ship the documents in boxes of items labeled "House Hold Goods." Investigators found thousands of pages, manuals, and binders in the boxes.
Khazee could serve up to 10 years in prison and pay up to $250,000 if convicted.