Defense Contractor Arrested for Passing Documents to Chinese Woman

A 59-year old U.S. defense contractor was arrested last Friday in Hawaii and charged with giving a 27-year old Chinese woman national security secrets involving war plans and nuclear weapons.

According to Fox News, Benjamin Pierce Bishop was romantically involved since 2011 with the 27-year old woman. She was in the United States on a J-Visa, which is for people in work or study-based exchange programs. Authorities found papers marked “secret” at Bishop’s home, even though he did not have authority to bring classified materials home. 

Bishop, according to reports, was a “defense contractor who works in intelligence at the U.S. Pacific Command” and sent the Chinese woman U.S. state secrets–like the “deployment of U.S. strategic nuclear systems” and “the ability of the U.S. to detect other nations’ low-and medium-range missiles”–over the phone and e-mail. 

Bishop is scheduled to appear in court Friday; a preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 1st.