A retired U.S. Army colonel who once held access to some of the nation's most sensitive military secrets is headed to federal prison after admitting he shared classified war plans with a woman he met online.
Kevin Charles Luke, 62, was sentenced in a Florida federal court to two years behind bars after pleading guilty in October to unlawfully transmitting national defense information, federal authorities announced on Wednesday.
Luke served nearly four decades in the Army — in both active duty and reserve roles — before retiring as a colonel in 2018, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida.
After retiring from the Army, Luke continued working within the national security system. He went on to work as a civilian employee for U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), the combatant command responsible for overseeing American military operations across the Middle East and other regions.
CENTCOM is headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa.
Prosecutors said Luke held a Top Secret security clearance during his military service and as a civilian employee. Court documents show he also signed a nondisclosure agreement as recently as February 2019, underscoring that he was fully aware of his duty to protect classified information.
Despite that obligation, authorities say Luke crossed a serious line.
In October 2024, prosecutors said that Luke sent a text message from his personal cellphone to a woman he had met online that included sensitive details about an upcoming military operation.
The message read: "sent to my boss earlier, gives you a peek at what I do for a living."
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Luke had been communicating with the woman using his personal phone and computer.
The text included a photograph of a computer screen displaying a classified email Luke had written and sent from his government email account. That email contained specific details about a future military operation, including the number of intended targets, the scheduled date, the mission's overall objective, and how it would be carried out.
Federal prosecutors made clear the seriousness of the breach.
"The unauthorized release of the information contained within the photograph could be expected to cause serious damage to the national security of the United States," the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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