Gregg William Bergersen, age 51, of Alexandria, Virginia, pled guilty yesterday to a one-count criminal information charging him with conspiracy to disclose national defense information to persons not entitled to receive it, in violation of 18 U.S.C., Sections 793(d) and (g). Bergersen was arrested on February 11, 2008 on a criminal complaint charging this same offense.

According to a Statement of Facts filed in Court with Bergersen’s Plea Agreement, the criminal conduct spanned the time period of March 2007 to February 2008. During this time, Bergersen — a Weapons Systems Policy Analyst at the Arlington, Va.-based Defense Security Cooperation Agency, an agency within the Department of Defense — provided national defense information on numerous occasions to Tai Shen Kuo, a New Orleans businessman.

Much of the information pertained to U.S. military sales to Taiwan and was classified at the Secret level. During the course of the conspiracy, Kuo cultivated a friendship with Bergersen, bestowing on him gifts, cash payments, dinners, and money for gambling during trips to Las Vegas.

Unbeknown to Bergersen, Kuo passed along to an official of the government of the PRC the information Bergersen had provided him. In some of his meetings with Kuo, Bergersen cautioned that the information he was providing was classified.

On one such occasion, in July 2007, Bergersen handed Kuo a classified document with jagged cut marks at the top and bottom of each page. Bergersen pointed out to Kuo that he had cut off the document’s title and had also removed the classification markings from the top and bottom of every page, ensuring Kuo that he was being given classified information.

Espionage charges are still pending against Kuo and an alleged conspirator, Yu Xin Kang, both of whom remain held without bond.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) provided substantial assistance and cooperation throughout the course of the investigation.