When a civilian engineer quietly walked out of a secure facility carrying thousands of printed pages (some stamped Top Secret), he likely had no idea his actions would soon trigger one of the year’s most consequential insider-threat investigations.
And he definitely didn’t expect the investigators who uncovered his scheme to walk away with one of Northern Virginia’s most prestigious public-service honors.
But that’s exactly what happened.
A Quiet Breach, A Big Discovery
This week, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) revealed that twelve of its Special Agents received the Northern Virginia Public Service Award for their work exposing a major security breach involving Gokhan Gun, a 51-year-old dual U.S.–Turkey citizen and engineer working at the Joint Warfare Analysis Center.
Gun, who held a Top Secret security clearance with access to sensitive compartmented information, wasn’t raising suspicions at first. But in May 2024, after colleagues clocked out and the building lights dimmed, he began printing. And printing. And printing.
By the time investigators pieced together the scope of his activity, they found he had printed 256 classified and unclassified documents—more than 190 of them outside normal duty hours. He regularly stuffed stacks of these documents into plastic shopping bags and carried them out of the building.
Some files were harmless. Others were born from highly restricted networks. At least 82 carried Top Secret markings.
A Joint Effort That Paid Off
“This team works long hours on challenges most people will never see,” said Lee Russ, executive director of AFOSI’s Office of Special Projects. “This recognition reflects the importance of what they do.”
AFOSI didn’t tackle the case alone. Investigators from the AFOSI Center and the FBI’s Washington Field Office joined forces to follow the paper trail and uncover exactly what Gun was doing—and why.
Col. Brian Alexander, commander of the AFOSI Center, said the award underscores the power of interagency partnerships: “This recognition highlights what can be accomplished when agencies work side by side toward a common goal. Our partnerships are essential to protecting national security.”
The Break in the Case
The investigation intensified dramatically on August 9, 2024. Gun was scheduled to fly to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, for what he claimed was a fishing trip. But the flight never happened.
Before he could even get to the airport, FBI agents executed a search warrant on his Falls Church home.
What they found was damning:
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A backpack holding a document marked Top Secret
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Gun’s own intelligence credentials
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Stacks of classified files, including one printed just two days earlier
Special Agent Gabriela Miller, who led AFOSI PJ’s detachment 9 during the operation, credited tight coordination among agencies: “The coordination between the agencies is what ensured the investigation moved forward without compromising national security.”
The Outcome—and the Recognition
Gun ultimately pleaded guilty to unauthorized removal and retention of classified material. His sentence: 18 months in federal prison and a $25,000 fine.
The case was prosecuted by federal attorneys from the Eastern District of Virginia and the Justice Department’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Justice Department and FBI leadership joined AFOSI officials in announcing the conclusion of the case.
But the spotlight this fall belonged to the agents who stopped a massive insider-threat breach before it spiraled into something even worse. In September, the Eastern District of Virginia awarded those twelve AFOSI members the Northern Virginia Public Service Award, recognizing their exceptional contributions to a sensitive, high-stakes national-security case.
And while most of us will never see the kinds of threats they navigate daily behind secure doors and badge-restricted hallways, it’s clear their work matters—and occasionally, gets the public recognition it deserves.
