TAMPA, Fla. -- A retired U.S. Army colonel and former civilian employee assigned to United States Central Command was sentenced 24 months in federal prison for the unauthorized disclosure of classified information Feb. 11.
According to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, Kevin Charles Luke, 62, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James S. Moody Jr.
“Unauthorized disclosures of classified information can put operations and lives at risk,” said Special Agent Larry Runk, Special Agent in Charge at AFOSI Det. 340. “AFOSI works closely with our interagency partners to aggressively investigate breaches of national defense information and ensure those who violate that trust is held accountable.”
Luke pleaded guilty Oct. 7, 2025. In his plea agreement, he admitted to abusing a position of public trust.
He served in active duty and reserve components of the U.S. Army from 1981 until his retirement as colonel on June 30, 2018. After retiring, he was employed as a civilian employee at Central Command headquarters at
During his military and civilian service, Luke held a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information security clearance. On multiple occasions, including as recently as Feb. 2019, he acknowledged his responsibility to protect classified information by signing a Standard Form 312 nondisclosure agreement.
In Oct. 2024, he used his personal cellphone to text a woman, writing that he was giving her a look at what he did for work. He then took a photo of a computer screen showing a classified email he had written and sent it to her.
According to court records, the image revealed Secret-level information, including targets of a planned U.S. military operation, the future date of the operation, the means of executing the operation and the operation’s objective.
Luke had applied the Secret classification markings to the email.
The case was investigated by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in addition to the Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Schmidt and Trial Attorney Leslie Esbrook of the Justice Department’s National Security Division prosecuted the case.
“Our warfighters depend on disciplined protection of classified information,” officials said. “Any unauthorized disclosure puts lives and missions at risk, and we will aggressively pursue those who violate that trust.”