HONOLULU — A federal judge on Monday sentenced a former B-2 stealth bomber engineer to 32 years in prison for selling military secrets to China.
Chief U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway said Noshir Gowadia, 66, would likely be in his late 80s by the time he is released if he gets credit for good behavior in prison.
"He broke his oath of loyalty to this country," Mollway said. "He was found guilty of marketing valuable technology to foreign countries for personal gain."
Gowadia was convicted in August on 14 counts, including communicating national defense information to aid a foreign nation and violating the arms export control act.
Prosecutors said Gowadia helped China design a stealth cruise missile to get money to pay the $15,000-a-month mortgage on his luxurious multimillion dollar home overlooking the ocean on Maui. They say he pocketed at least $110,000 by selling military secrets.
The defense argued Gowadia only provided unclassified information to China. Ashton Gowadia told reporters after the sentencing that his father would appeal his conviction.
Mollway said Gowadia failed to show remorse for his actions, and she was concerned there was a significant risk he would repeat his criminal behavior if he was released.
The judge sentenced Gowadia to 32 years for each of two counts of communicating national defense information to aid a foreign nation.
She also gave him 20 years for each of four counts of violating the arms export control act, and 10 years for each of five lesser counts including money laundering. He received five years for one count of conspiracy and three years for two counts of filing a false tax return.
But Mollway ordered the sentences to run together.
Prosecutors had asked Mollway to sentence Gowadia to life in prison.
Mollway said Gowadia's age and health convinced her to impose a lesser sentence.