FBI: Navy Engineer Sentenced for Attempted Espionage - Passed Information on Latest Aircraft Carrier to Undercover Agent

The FBI offers the below report:

In the fall of 2014, civilian engineer Mostafa Ahmed Awwad provided schematics of the U.S. Navy’s newest nuclear aircraft carrier—the USS Gerald R. Ford—to an individual he thought was an Egyptian intelligence officer. At the time, Awwad was an employee of the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia, and had access to naval nuclear propulsion information.

His actions could have potentially compromised the safety of some 4,000 American sailors who will be serving on the USS Gerald R. Ford after it joins the fleet of Navy vessels sometime next year—and the security of our nation in general. Fortunately, Awwad’s Egyptian contact turned out to be an undercover FBI agent. And last month, Awwad was sentenced to 11 years in prison after pleading guilty earlier this year to attempted espionage.

After joint investigative efforts between the FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), an undercover Bureau agent reached out to Awwad by telephone in September 2014 and, speaking Arabic, asked to meet with him. Without asking any questions, Awwad agreed.

	This surveillance photo shows Mostafa Ahmed Awwad, left, meeting with an FBI undercover agent he believed was an Egyptian intelligence officer.

The pair met the next day in a park in nearby Hampton, Virginia. During the meeting, which was audio and video recorded, our agent identified himself as being a representative of the Egyptian government. Awwad told our agent that he wanted to use his position at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard to obtain military technology for use by Egypt, including the designs of the USS Gerald R. Ford. The two discussed how they would remain in future contact—through coded e-mail communications and dead drops in a concealed location in the park.

In October 2014, at Awwad’s request, the two men met in a hotel room in Norfolk. During that meeting, which was also recorded, Awwad gave the undercover agent electronic copies of schematic drawings of the USSGerald R. Ford, which clearly contained numerous markings warning against disseminating the information publicly. Awwad said he planned to obtain additional information concerning the tools and the technology necessary to build the carrier and also pointed out on the schematics vulnerable areas where a strike could cause an explosion significant enough to sink the carrier.

During this same meeting, Awwad described for the agent his plans to circumvent Navy computer security by installing software on his restricted computer that would enable him to copy documents without triggering a security alert. He also asked for money to buy a pinhole camera, which he intended to use throughout the shipyard to take pictures of restricted material.

And finally, Awwad told the agent that going forward, the two would communicate primarily through e-mail. The engineer, admittedly fearful of being caught by the FBI, instructed the agent to create 24 fake e-mail accounts that should be used only once and then deleted. He also asked for an escape plan in the event his activities were detected by the FBI.

Over the next month or so, Awwad and the undercover agent e-mailed numerous times and met again in a hotel. Awwad was also recorded servicing the dead drop location in the Hampton park, picking up $3,000 left by the agent at Awwad’s request so he could purchase a laptop and dropping off an external hard drive of additional schematic drawings and two photos to be used for producing a fraudulent passport.

All the while, there was no doubt that Awwad understood that the “Egyptian representative” he was dealing with would be passing the stolen information to the Egyptian government.

Why did he do it? Awwad told our undercover agent that he was motivated to use his position to steal nuclear and defense secrets from the U.S. to aid Egypt in building a more robust defense. And at one point, he said he wanted to go to Egypt to meet personally with high-ranking intelligence and military officials to get a better idea on exactly what information they would want him to collect.

But he never got the chance. Awwad was taken into custody on December 5, 2014, following another meeting with our undercover agent.

The USS Gerald R. Ford is still under construction, but when completed, it will be the most advanced aircraft carrier in the world and the first in a new class of carriers. As a result of the joint FBI/NCIS efforts in this case, according to FBI Assistant Director Randall Coleman, “We prevented the loss of billions of dollars in research costs and the exposure of potential vulnerabilities to our newest generation of nuclear aircraft carrier.”

Note: The top FBI photo shows the dead drop area in a Virginia park that was used by Navy civilian engineer Mostafa Ahmed Awwad to pass sensitive information on the USS Gerald R. Ford, a new aircraft carrier currently under construction. The other FBI photo is a surveillance photo that shows Mostafa Ahmed Awwad, left, meeting with an FBI undercover agent he believed was an Egyptian intelligence officer. 

Navy Civilian Engineer Sentenced To 11 Years For Attempted Espionage

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information:

Mostafa Ahmed Awwad, 36, of Yorktown, Virginia, was sentenced today to 132 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson of the Eastern District of Virginia for attempted espionage relating to his attempt to provide schematics of the nuclear aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford to Egypt while serving as a Navy engineer.

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente of the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant Director Randall C. Coleman of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division and Special Agent in Charge Tim Quick of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Norfolk, Virginia, Field Office made the announcement.

“Awwad took advantage of his position of trust within the Navy to share the schematics of the USS Gerald R. Ford nuclear aircraft carrier with individuals whom he believed were representing a foreign government,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin.  “The National Security Division will continue to seek justice for those who abuse their access to sensitive defense information.”

“Awwad attempted to steal the valuable plans for the USS Ford and to provide them to a foreign government,” said U.S. Attorney Boente.  “This office is committed to safeguarding our nation’s sensitive defense information, and we will bring to justice those who seek to steal it.  I want to commend our partners at the FBI Norfolk and NCIS Norfolk for their excellent work on this case.”

“The mission of NCIS includes protecting Sailors and secrets,” said Special Agent in Charge Quick.  “Awwad endangered both; for personal gain and to help strengthen another nation's military. It's gratifying that NCIS was a part of bringing him to justice.”  

Awwad pleaded guilty on June 15, 2015.  According to court documents, Awwad began working for the Department of the Navy in February 2014 as a civilian general engineer in the Nuclear Engineering and Planning Department at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard.  Based on a joint investigation, an undercover FBI agent contacted Awwad by telephone on Sept. 18, 2014, and asked to meet him the following day.  Without seeking additional information from the caller, Awwad agreed.  The next day, Awwad met with the undercover FBI agent, who was posing as an Egyptian intelligence officer, in a park in Hampton, Virginia.  During the meeting, Awwad claimed it was his intention to utilize his position with the U.S. Navy to obtain military technology for use by the Egyptian government, including but not limited to the designs of the USS Gerald R. Ford nuclear aircraft carrier, a new Navy “supercarrier.”  Awwad agreed to conduct clandestine communications with the undercover FBI agent, and to conduct “dead drops” in a concealed location in the park.

On Oct. 9, 2014, Awwad and the undercover FBI agent met at a hotel where Awwad described a detailed plan to circumvent U.S. Navy computer security by installing software on his restricted computer system that would enable him to copy documents without causing a security alert.  At this time, Awwad also provided the undercover FBI agent with four Computer Aided Drawings of a U.S. nuclear aircraft carrier downloaded from the Navy Nuclear Propulsion Information system.  During the discussion, Awwad indicated his understanding that the drawings would be sent to and used in Egypt.  Awwad also asked the undercover FBI agent for $1,500 to purchase a pinhole camera that he would wear around the shipyard to photograph restricted material.  At the conclusion of the meeting, Awwad agreed to provide the undercover FBI agent with passport photos which would be used to produce a fraudulent Egyptian passport so that Awwad could travel to Egypt without alerting U.S. government officials.

On Oct. 23, 2014, Awwad traveled to the prearranged dead drop site situated on a secluded hiking trail and utilized a concealed container disguised in a hole in the ground.  He retrieved $3,000 before placing an external hard drive and two passport photos inside.

On Dec. 5, 2014, Awwad and the undercover agent met in the Hampton Roads, Virginia, area.  During this meeting, Awwad stated that he planned to travel to Egypt.  Awwad subsequently said he wanted to meet with “high ranking” Egyptian intelligence and military officials in Cairo.  Awwad also stated during the meeting that he had copied all of the schematics.  During the meeting, Awwad provided the undercover FBI agent a thumb drive that contained more schematics of the USS Gerald R. Ford.  The undercover FBI agent handed Awwad the “escape plan” – in actuality a manila envelope with no real plan inside – along with $1,000 in currency, shortly before Awwad was arrested.

The schematics of the USS Gerald R. Ford that Awwad provided are information related to the national defense of the United States.  The USS Gerald R. Ford, which is currently under construction, is the first in a new class of aircraft carriers.  When completed, the USS Gerald R. Ford will be the most advanced aircraft carrier in the world, with approximately 4,000 sailors on board.  The schematics contain Naval Nuclear Propulsion Information and they are marked with the handling restriction “NOFORN,” which means they are not releasable to foreign persons.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office and NCIS Norfolk, in cooperation with the Department of Navy.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin L. Hatch and Joseph E. DePadilla of the Eastern District of Virginia and Senior Trial Attorney Heather M. Schmidt of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

Navy Engineer Arrested for Attempting to Send USS Gerald R. Ford Schematics to the Egyptian Government

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information:

NORFOLK, VA—Mostafa Ahmed Awwad, 35, of Yorktown, Virginia, was arrested today on charges of attempting to steal schematics of the Navy’s newest nuclear aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, and pass the schematics to whom he believed was an Egyptian government official.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; John Carlin, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; Royce E. Curtin, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and Susan Triesch, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement.

Awwad is charged with two counts of attempted exportation of defense articles and technical data, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count if convicted. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Criminal indictments are only charges and not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.

According to an FBI affidavit submitted to the court in support of search warrants, Awwad began working for the Department of Navy in February 2014 as a civilian general engineer in the Nuclear Engineering and Planning Department at Norfolk Naval Shipyard. Based on joint investigation, an FBI undercover agent speaking in Arabic contacted Awwad by telephone on September 18, 2014, and asked to meet him the following day.

Without seeking additional information from the caller, Awwad agreed. The next day Awwad met with the undercover FBI agent, who was posing as an Egyptian intelligence officer, in a park in Hampton, Virginia. During the meeting Awwad claimed it was his intention to utilize his position of trust with the U.S. Navy to obtain military technology for use by the Egyptian government, including but not limited to, the designs of the USS Gerald R. Ford nuclear aircraft carrier.

Awwad agreed to conduct clandestine communications with the undercover FBI agent by e-mail and unattributable telephones and to conduct “dead drops” in a concealed location in the park.

On October 9, 2014, Awwad and the undercover FBI agent met at a hotel where Awwad described a detailed plan to circumvent U.S. Navy computer security by installing software on his restricted computer system that would enable him to copy documents without causing a security alert.

At this time Awwad also provided the undercover FBI agent four Computer Aided Drawings of a U.S. nuclear aircraft carrier downloaded from the Navy Nuclear Propulsion Information system. These drawings were marked with warnings that foreign distribution could result in criminal prosecution.

During the discussion, Awwad indicated his understanding that the drawings would be sent to and used in Egypt. Awwad also asked the undercover FBI agent for $1,500 to purchase a pinhole camera he would wear around the shipyard to photograph restricted material. At the conclusion of the meeting, Awwad agreed to provide the undercover FBI agent with passport photos which would be used to produce a fraudulent Egyptian passport so Awwad could travel to Egypt without alerting U.S. government officials.

On October 23, 2014, Awwad traveled to the pre-arranged dead drop site situated on a secluded hiking trail, and utilized a concealed container disguised in a hole in the ground. He retrieved $3,000 in cash before placing a one terabyte external hard drive and two passport photos inside. The FBI later collected the contents of the dead drop container.

On November 28, 2014, Awwad was observed entering his office at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard holding a cardboard tube about three feet long. Once in his office, Awwad opened the cardboard tube and took out several white sheets which appeared to be design schematics of an aircraft carrier. Awwad then placed the schematics on the floor of his office and photographed them. After approximately 45 minutes of viewing the schematics and taking photographs, Awwad placed all the schematics back in the cardboard tube and left his office.

Awwad made his initial appearance in federal court today, and is scheduled to appear for a detention hearing on December 10, 2014, at 3:30 p.m. at the federal courthouse in Norfolk, Virginia.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, in cooperation with the Department of Navy. Prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States are Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Benjamin L. Hatch and Joseph E. DePadilla, and Department of Justice, National Security Division Counterespionage Trial Attorney Heather M. Schmidt.