Retired U.S. Army Officer Sentenced to Federal Prison for Disclosing Classified National Defense Information

Tampa, Florida – Kevin Charles Luke (62, Tampa) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge James Moody, Jr. to 24 months in federal prison for the disclosure of classified information relating to the national defense of the United States. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. Luke pleaded guilty on October 7, 2025. In his plea agreement, he admitted to abusing a position of public trust. According to court documents, Luke served in both active duty and reserve components of the United States Army from 1981 until his retirement with the rank of Colonel on June 30, 2018. Following his retirement, Luke was employed as a civilian employee at United States Central Command (CENTCOM). During his time in the Army and as a civilian employee, Luke held a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information security clearance. On multiple occasions, including as recently as February 2019, Luke acknowledged his responsibility to protect classified information by signing a Standard Form 312 Nondisclosure Agreement. In October 2024, Luke sent a woman a text message from his personal cellphone that stated, “sent to my boss earlier, gives you a peek at what I do for a living.” Following that message, he sent a photograph of a computer screen displaying a classified email message that he had authored and sent using a government email address intended for classified email communications. The photograph of the classified email also revealed targets of a planned U.S. military operation as well as the future date of the operation, the means of executing the operation, and the goal of the operation. The email contained classified markings at the Secret level that Luke himself had added. The unauthorized release of the information contained within the photograph could be expected to cause serious damage to the national security of the United States.