A naturalized
U.S. citizen of Iranian origin was arrested on charges of attempting to ship
F-35 technical data to Iran. Mozaffar Khazaee was detained on
January 9 at Newark International Airport on his way to Tehran, The Navy Times
reported today.
Khazaee was charged with “transporting, transmitting and transferring in interstate or foreign commerce goods obtained by theft, conversion, or fraud.” The crime carries a maximum 10 years imprisonment.
Khazaee, an employee
of Pratt and Whitney, was allegedly going to ship “numerous boxes of documents
consisting of sensitive technical manuals, specification sheets, and other
proprietary material for the F-35.” (The Navy Times, 13 January)
F-35 is the
fifth-generation fighter, which is expected to be the backbone of American air
superiority over the next several decades.
