US Air Force Veteran Charged With Disclosing Classified Military Information

Minot Air Force Base in Ward County in Minot, N.D., on Dec. 18, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)

A U.S. Air Force veteran was arrested on June 27 for allegedly disclosing classified information on military aircraft and weapons to unauthorized people, according to an unsealed indictment.

Paul J. Freeman, of Niceville, Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury for unauthorized possession and transmission of classified national defense information following his initial appearance in federal court, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a release.

The 68-year-old allegedly disclosed sensitive information on U.S. Air Force aircraft and weapons to unauthorized people between November 2020 and March 2021, the DOJ said.

According to the indictment, the information that Mr. Freeman possessed and disclosed pertained to the “vulnerabilities” of military aircraft and weapons systems.

Prosecutors argued that Mr. Freeman “had reason to believe [the information] could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of any foreign nation.”

The indictment states that in February 2021 Mr. Freeman allegedly “willfully communicated, delivered, and transmitted” the information to “persons not entitled to receive it.”

The DOJ did not provide any details about the people with whom Mr. Freeman had shared the classified information.

U.S. District Judge M. Casey Rodgers of the Northern District of Florida scheduled Mr. Freeman’s jury trial to begin on Aug. 5.

Mr. Freeman was arrested on June 27 following the issuance of a warrant by Magistrate Judge Hope T. Cannon.

The Epoch Times was unable to contact Mr. Freeman or reach any representative, and court records show that he has not been assigned an attorney yet.

Initially held under temporary detention, Mr. Freeman was released on July 1 under court-ordered conditions after the government’s motion to detain him was denied. His status conference concerning the retention of counsel is scheduled for July 12.

A pretrial conference is set for July 17 to address issues related to the Classified Information Procedures Act, as well as the appointment of a Classified Information Security Officer, according to court documents.

Mr. Freeman could face up to 10 years in prison for each of the nine counts he was indicted on, according to the DOJ.

The DOJ stated that the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the FBI are investigating the case. The Epoch Times has reached out to the U.S. Air Force to obtain Mr. Freeman’s employment history.