WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th March, 2019) A former US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor pleaded guilty to theft of classified national security materials, the Justice Department said in a press release.
"Harold Thomas Martin, III, age 54, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to the Federal charge of willful retention of national defense information," the release said on Thursday.
Martin was arrested in August, 2016 at his house in the US state of Maryland, after federal agents discovered a number of confidential materials saved on his personal devices.
According to investigators, Martin stole approximately 50 terabytes of data while being employed by the NSA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Martin held security clearances up to Top Secret and Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) at various times, and worked on a number of classified, specialized federal projects.
If the court accepts Martin's plea agreement, he faces nine years in prison for willful retention of national defense information, the release said. Martin's sentencing has been set for July 17, it added.
