J. Reece Roth, a retired professor at the University of Tennessee, was charged Monday of passing military secrets to one of his foreign research assistants.

The professor, who specialized in plasma related research, had gained a contract with the United States Air Force to develop plasma actuators for control of unmanned aircraft and had been working on the project from 2004 to 2006. The company which was responsible with the development of these devices was Atmospheric Glow Technologies, which was founded by the professor.

During the period of time in which the research took place, Roth hired Chinese citizen and research assistant for the University of Tennessee Xin Dai and granted him full access to the information related to the project, without getting government permission. The team that the professor chose to help him with the work also included an Iranian national.

Roth is also accused of sending a document containing secret military technology information to a person in China, as well as taking with him several documents subject to export control during a lecture trip to the same country in 2006.

After returning from the trip, authorities questioned him and seized his laptop. The professor’s answer was that all the information he presented had already been made public in conferences and published work.

According to penalties for violating the Arms Export Control Act, wire fraud and conspiracy, the professor could get a maximum sentence of 35 years in prison, and a fine of $1.5 million.

Physicist Daniel Max Sherman, one of Roth’s colleagues, has already pleaded guilty.