NSA agent facing federal charges for allegedly sending classified info through personal email

Authorities on Thursday said a National Security Agency (NSA) agent will face federal charges, accusing him of sending classified information through his own personal email account. 

The Department of Justice (DOJ) said that a federal grand jury had returned an indictment for Hanover, Md., native Mark Robert Unkenholz, issuing charges of willfully transmitting and retention of National  Defense Information (NDI). 

According to court documents, Unkenholz sent classified information to another person who was not entitled to see it on thirteen occasions between February 2018 to June 2020. Authorities said the information Unkenholz sent was classified as Secret/Top Secret on CSI levels, noting that the other person received the information from Unkenholz’s own personal email account. 

The unidentified person held a TOP SECRET/SCI clearance from April 2016 to June 2019, while he was employed at the company from July 2019 until January 2021, according to the statement. 

When he received the classified information from Unkenholz, the unidentified person worked for another company and was not unauthorized to access or receive the information. 

Court documents also allege that Unkenholz’s personal and company email accounts were not authorized storage locations for classified NDI. 

With his position at NSA, Unkenholz held a TOP SECRET/SCI clearance and had lawful access to classified information relating to the NDI, the statement noted. 

Unkenholz, 60, could face a possible sentence of life in prison if he’s convicted of all 26 counts against him. 

Unkenholz is expected to appear in a District Court in Baltimore on Thursday.