A retired U.S. Army colonel who later worked at U.S. Central Command has been sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for transmitting classified military strike planning information using his personal cellphone, federal officials announced.
Kevin Charles Luke, 62, of Parrish, Florida, pleaded guilty to one count of unauthorized communication of information relating to the national defense. He was sentenced on February 11, 2026, by U.S. District Judge James Moody Jr. in the Middle District of Florida.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, Luke admitted that on October 1, 2024, while employed as a government civilian at United States Central Command in Tampa, he used his personal cellphone to photograph a classified email he had authored on a secure government system.
The email, marked SECRET//REL TO USA, FVEY, contained details of a then-future U.S. military operation, including the number of targets, the planned date of execution, the method of attack, and the operational objective. The “REL TO USA, FVEY” caveat indicates the information was authorized for sharing within the Five Eyes intelligence alliance — the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand — but not beyond that network. Federal prosecutors stated the information was classified at the time of transmission and remains classified.
Luke sent the photograph to a woman he had met online, texting her beforehand that it would give her “a peek at what I do for a living.” He admitted he knew his personal device was not authorized to store or transmit national defense information and that the recipient was not cleared to receive it.
Luke retired from the Army in June 2018 with the rank of colonel after serving in both active and reserve components since 1981. After retirement, he continued working with access to classified information as both a contractor and later as a civilian employee.
The case was investigated jointly by the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations Detachment 340 and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Because the breach occurred at CENTCOM headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base, AFOSI Detachment 340 — which maintains a counterintelligence mission at the installation — had investigative jurisdiction despite Luke’s Army background.
Luke pleaded guilty in November 2025 to violating federal law prohibiting unauthorized communication of national defense information. He faced a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison but ultimately received a 24-month sentence.
At the time of the unauthorized transmission in October 2024, U.S. Central Command was actively engaged in multiple operational theaters across the Middle East. Publicly acknowledged operations during that period and into early 2025 included maritime security and strike operations in the Red Sea region, counterterrorism actions in Iraq and Syria, and ongoing military activity against Houthi targets in Yemen.
Federal officials did not identify the specific operation referenced in the classified email and have stated the details remain classified.
In announcing the guilty plea, officials emphasized the seriousness of mishandling classified operational information.
“Any compromise of classified material can affect overall mission readiness,” said Special Agent in Charge Larry Runk of AFOSI Detachment 340.
The case underscores continued federal scrutiny of unauthorized disclosures involving sensitive military planning, particularly within combatant command headquarters where operational-level strike decisions are formulated and transmitted.
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