HONOLULU -- A B-2 stealth bomber engineer accused of selling U.S. military secrets to foreign countries was indicted on new charges Tuesday by a federal grand jury.
The six-count indictment accuses Noshir S. Gowadia, 61, of giving national defense information to people in three unidentified countries and of violating the Arms Export Control Act.
Gowadia, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in India, was arrested Oct. 26 and charged with selling U.S. military secrets involving the aircraft to a foreign country.
Prosecutors would not identify the countries or disclose how much money he is accused of receiving.
Gowadia, who was being held without bail, faces 60 years in prison if convicted. A call to the public defender's office was not immediately returned Tuesday night.
"The charges contained in the indictment are based upon a terrible misunderstanding concerning Professor Gowadia's consulting work with allies of the United States," his family said in a statement.
Gowadia was an engineer with Northrop Grumman Corp. from 1968 to 1986 and helped design parts of the B-2's propulsion system that make it difficult for enemy missiles to detect the bomber. The technology remains highly classified.
According to an affidavit filed by the FBI after his arrest, Gowadia marketed himself to foreign officials and other foreigners as the "father" of the B-2's unique infrared suppressing propulsion system.
The federal government also filed a forfeiture complaint in an effort to seize Gowadia's $1.8 million home. The complaint alleges the four-bedroom home in Haiku was illegally built with thousands of dollars he made from sales of military information.
