Search of local NASIC contractor looked for ‘co-conspirators’

FBI agents were looking for communications with co-conspirators or foreign intelligence services when they searched the Fairborn home of a NASIC contractor where 1,000 classified documents were found during a separate search, court documents show.

The June 24 search of Izaak Kemp’s Harmony Lane home by agents yielded a Samsung Galaxy Note 8 cell phone, a Hitachi 750 -gigabyte computer hard drive and a Sony laptop computer, federal court filings examined by the Dayton Daily News say.

“The investigation is continuing and no charges have been filed yet,” said Fred Alverson, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office in the Southern District of Ohio.

All of the devices are being kept at an FBI office in Centerville, according to federal filings.

This newspaper first reported the federal investigation sprang from an earlier Fairborn police search, on May 25, of Kemp’s home. That first search was related to suspicion of a “marijuana growing facility” at Kemp’s home, according to a federal application for a search warrant.

According to court documents, during the FBI search, agents were looking for “records and information relating to communications with other individuals associated with foreign intelligence services, their surrogates, co-conspirators, accomplices and associates.”

The same filing added that “Identifying and contact information of co-conspirators and other individuals engaged or otherwise involved in the unauthorized possession of classified material” was also subject to search.

NASIC, based at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, focuses on predictive intelligence regarding threats to the United States in air, space and cyberspace.

During the May 25 police search “over 1,000 pages of classified documents in paper form” were discovered, leading to the involvement of federal investigators.

Kemp allegedly admitted to printing the documents at work and taking them home, according to the application for the warrant. The warrant application says Kemp has a “top secret” clearance.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Newman authorized the FBI search on June 21, telling investigators to complete it on or before July 5.

Investigators received authorization to search for emails, texts and other messages, photos, videos, contacts and contact lists, addresses and address books, voicemail messages, dialed and incoming calls and much more.

Investigators also had authorization to look for records and any information related to classified information, any information about Kemp’s use of You Tube, Facebook, messaging applications and more.

A Wright-Patterson spokesman referred questions Monday to an Air Force spokeswoman, who said she could not say whether Kemp still works as a contractor.

Messages were also sent to a U.S. attorney and Kemp’s Columbus attorney.

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