DOJ: 3 Kentuckiana residents arrested for allegedly selling military secrets to China

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Two people from southern Indiana and one from Kentucky are facing federal charges, accused of sending military secrets to China.

Phil and Monica Pascoe of Floyds Knobs, Indiana, and Scott Tubbs of Georgetown, Kentucky, were in court on Wednesday, according to a news release from the Department of Justice.

Federal prosecutors said the three and Quadrant Magnetics sent 70 drawings with military data to a company in China without a license from the U.S. government between December 2018 and January 2020.

The drawings were owned by two U.S. companies and contained information for items used in a variety of military and defense items, including aircraft, radars and weapons.

Prosecutors said Quadrant Magnetics imported "rare earth materials" from China that were then used in components for the F-16 and F-18 and "other defense assets."

The U.S. doesn't allow Chinese-based earth materials to be used in defense projects.

All three were charged with wire fraud, violations of the Arms Export Control Act and smuggling of goods for their roles in the scheme. If convicted, each faces anywhere from five years to decades in prison.