A 60-year-old BYU alumnus and former State Department employee has been charged in federal court with selling classified documents to a Chinese intelligence official and making false statements to the FBI, according to court documents.
Virginia resident Kevin Patrick Mallory told the FBI he was contacted through social media by a Chinese recruiter around February and later received a “communication device” and trained to use it for private communication with his contact, according to the criminal complaint. The complaint said Mallory told the FBI he sent two unclassified white papers, but message history on the device showed other documents were sent, three of which were classified.
Using the device, which the complaint does not further describe, Mallory allegedly wrote, “Your object is to gain information, and my object is to be paid for.”
“My current object is to make sure your security and try to reimburse you,” the Chinese contact allegedly responded.
Officials were first alerted in April after Mallory’s return flight from Shanghai, where he reported he was not carrying over $10,000 in U.S. or foreign currency, according to the complaint. Custom officials then found $16,500 in Mallory’s two carry-on bags. Mallory was allowed to amend his customs declaration to show the correct amount of money.
Mallory submitted to a voluntary interview with the FBI on May 24 and was arrested June 22, according to a Department of Justice press release.
“Kevin Mallory was previously entrusted with Top Secret clearance and therefore had access to classified information, which he allegedly shared and planned to continue sharing with representatives of a foreign government,” Assistant Director Andrew Vale said in the press release. Vale is assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
According to the complaint, Mallory graduated from BYU in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He served in an active duty military position and has worked in various federal governmental positions, including as special agent for the State
Department Diplomatic Security Service. Mallory is currently a self-employed consultant with GlobalEx, LLC and speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese.
If convicted, Mallory faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
