DoD employee charged after trying to leave US with top secret documents, prosecutors say

WASHINGTON - An electrical engineer with the Department of Defense was in federal court Tuesday, accused of taking top secret documents and attempting to leave the country with them, according to prosecutors. 

Court documents detail how 50-year-old Gokhan Gun — a resident of Falls Church who was born in Turkey and holds dual citizenship — was arrested on Friday, Aug. 9, and charged with unauthorized removal and retention of classified material. 

On the morning of Aug. 9 when Gun was scheduled to fly to Puerto Vallarta, FBI agents executed a search warrant on him and two of his homes. Court documents say the agents found the documents, labeled as "TOP SECRET," sitting in a backpack in front of Gun’s home. 

Inside the home, agents also saw stacks of papers containing multiple documents with visible classification markings, including some labeled Top Secret and SCI (Sensitive Compartmented Information) classification markings.

Under Executive Order 13526, top secret classification means the documents could do "exceptionally grave damage to the national security of the United States."

Gun reportedly told the investigating agents that was on his way to Mexico for what he later described to the FBI as a "fishing trip." In the court documents, investigators call Gun’s story, "nonsensical," adding that "it is unclear how highly classified U.S. Government information would help him in this endeavor."

According to investigators, Gun began printing documents off beginning at least in May 2024 and began taking them home without authorization. This happened on several occasions, the court documents say.

In August, investigators observed Gun exiting his workplace with a bag full of hard copy documents before entering two different residences in Fairfax and Falls Church, both owned by Gun. Investigators then obtained search warrants against Gun. 

Court documents say in his interview with the FBI, Gun " proceeded to provide demonstrably false information," saying he never took any classified documents home and alleged that if they were in his home, the classifications had "expired."

Prosecutors have asked that Gun remain in jail as they believe he is a flight risk, noting his many trips over the years and that his parents still live in Turkey.

While government officials say they intend to file additional felony charges, Gun faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison if convicted on his current charge.