Turkish engineer arrested over retaining classified papers in Pentagon

WASHINGTON

The FBI has arrested a Turkish-American dual citizen who works as an electrical engineer at the Pentagon for illegally obtaining and retaining classified documents from the U.S. Defense Department.

According to an FBI document, Istanbul-born Gökhan Gün arrived in the United States on a work visa in 2001 and obtained permanent residency in 2012. Gün, who acquired U.S. citizenship in 2021, did not renounce his Turkish citizenship.

Gün, who owns two properties in Virginia and one each in Florida and Texas, began working as an electrical engineer for the U.S. Defense Department last September.

Due to his employment, Gün had clearance to access documents labeled "top secret." The FBI said that starting from May 10, Gün began illicitly printing and removing state secret documents, often during non-working hours, and taking them to his residence.

According to the FBI, between May 10 and Aug. 7, Gün allegedly printed approximately 256 documents totaling 3,412 pages.

Of these, 20 documents comprising 155 pages were reportedly marked "top secret." Gün was apprehended while preparing to depart for Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. When questioned by FBI agents, Gün claimed he was embarking on a fishing trip to Mexico.

During their search of his home, agents found stacks of papers in what appeared to be his dining room, where they discovered a few more documents labeled “top secret.”

In one instance of his alleged printing of documents, Gun was seen leaving the office with what appeared to be “rolled papers within a partially translucent shopping bag,” according to officials.

He is scheduled to appear in court in Virginia on Aug. 13.