A Virginia defense contractor employee who held a U.S. government top secret security clearance has pleaded guilty to helping a scheme that used American identities to obtain remote information technology jobs, according to federal prosecutors.

John Allen Kurrle Jr., 62, of Gainesville, Virginia, pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced.

According to court documents, Kurrle worked for a defense contractor and had access to compartmented information between June and August 2025, when he participated in the scheme. Prosecutors said he allowed foreign individuals to use his identity to apply for remote positions at American companies, including government contractors. He also permitted the fraudulent use of another person’s identity in job applications.

The companies targeted by the scheme sent work laptops to Kurrle’s home in Gainesville. He received the devices and enabled individuals outside the United States to access them remotely, allowing the foreign applicants to perform work while using equipment located at an American address.

Applications submitted using Kurrle’s identity or the other person’s identity resulted in nine job offers, prosecutors said.

The case comes amid continuing U.S. efforts to disrupt North Korean information technology worker operations that exploit remote employment opportunities to generate revenue for the regime and evade international sanctions.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, North Korea has dispatched thousands of IT workers to obtain jobs with companies around the world. These operations can rely on American-based facilitators who receive and host company-issued computers, allowing overseas workers to appear to be operating from within the United States.

Facilitators may receive fees for providing access to their homes, identities or computer equipment. The arrangement can allow foreign workers to conceal their locations and identities while obtaining employment with American businesses.

Prosecutors did not identify the foreign individuals involved in Kurrle’s case or confirm that they were North Korean nationals. However, the alleged conduct resembles tactics federal authorities have described in broader investigations into North Korean remote-work schemes.

Kurrle’s employment with a defense contractor and access to sensitive government information add a security dimension to the case. The Justice Department has not stated that the foreign applicants gained access to classified information through the scheme, and the available allegations do not establish that they did so.

Kurrle is scheduled to be sentenced on January 28, 2027. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, although the sentence will be determined by the court.