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In the fall of 2014, civilian engineer Mostafa Ahmed Awwad provided schematics of the U.S. Navy\u2019s newest nuclear aircraft carrier\u2014the USS Gerald R. Ford<\/em>\u2014to 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.<\/span><\/p>\n His actions could have potentially compromised the safety of some 4,000 American sailors who will be serving on the USS Gerald R. Ford<\/em> after it joins the fleet of Navy vessels sometime next year\u2014and the security of our nation in general. Fortunately, Awwad\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n 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<\/em>. The two discussed how they would remain in future contact\u2014through coded e-mail communications and dead drops in a concealed location in the park.<\/p>\n