Ex-CIA contractor pleads guilty to keeping classified info

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former CIA contractor has pleaded guilty to unauthorized removal and retention of classified materials.

Fifty-three-year-old Reynaldo Regis of Fort Washington, Maryland, pleaded guilty Friday in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia.

Prosecutors say Regis worked for a government contractor and was assigned to the CIA between 2006 and 2016.

As part of his plea agreement, Regis admitted he copied classified information into personal notebooks and conducted unauthorized searches of classified databases. According to court documents, FBI agents found 60 notebooks containing classified information when they searched his home. Officials have not said why he copied the material.

Regis also pleaded guilty to making false statements.

His lawyer, John Zwerling, said Regis did a lot of good work but made a mistake and wants to make amends.