2009 FEDERAL SENTENCING GUIDELINES MANUAL

CHAPTER 2 - PART M - OFFENSES INVOLVING NATIONAL DEFENSE AND WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

3.      ESPIONAGE AND RELATED OFFENSES

§2M3.4.     Losing National Defense Information

                   (a)       Base Offense Level:

                               (1)       18, if top secret information was lost; or

                               (2)       13, otherwise.

Commentary

Statutory Provision: 18 U.S.C. § 793(f).

Application Note:

1.      See Commentary to §2M3.1.

Background: Offenses prosecuted under this statute generally do not involve subversive conduct on behalf of a foreign power, but rather the loss of classified information by the gross negligence of an employee of the federal government or a federal contractor.

Historical Note: Effective November 1, 1987.