DOD Air Force Contractor Pleads Guilty to Stealing Top Secret Classified Documents

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Meet Gokhan Gun: A Turk charged with stealing Top Secret files and trying to flee to Mexico

The United States Department of Justice announced that Gokhan Gun, 51, an electrical engineer for the Department of Defense, pleaded guilty in federal court on March 20, 2025, to unauthorized removal and retention of classified material.

Gun, a native of Falls Church, Virginia, is a dual citizen of the United States and Turkey. Gun was born in Turkey and became a U.S. citizen in 2021.

His life unraveled on August 9, 2024, when he was arrested as he attempted to board a flight to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Fox News reported at the time of his arrest that Gun was leaving for the airport when FBI agents executed a search warrant on him and two of his homes. Agents discovered documents marked as "TOP SECRET" inside a backpack and across his Falls Church, VA home.

Agents discovered that the documents were printed and transported home as recently as two days before his arrest. Printing and transporting classified documents to an unauthorized location is prohibited.

Until his arrest, Gun was a DOD contractor supporting the U.S. Air Force Joint Warfare Analysis Center, holding a Top-Secret security clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information.

Gun faces 5 years in jail for stealing classified documents

Gun is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17, 2025, and faces up to five years in prison.

A rideshare driver arrived at the scene as FBI investigators were apprehending Gun and approached Gun. It’s safe to say the only ride he got that day was in the back of a federal vehicle.

No word on if he tipped his FBI driver or gave him a five-star rating.

Today’s Cyber Social Wall of Shame

Oracle still denies any breach, but it’s clear they were hacked. Now, Oracle customers are paying the price for it.

Until next time…

Rob Waters
Founder
The Breach Report + Cybersecurity Careers Blog

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