Noshir S. Gowadia traveled the world, billed himself as the "father" of the B-2 stealth bomber's propulsion system, and disclosed classified military secrets about the high-tech aircraft to foreign governments, the federal government says.

The FBI's criminal case against Gowadia, contained in a seven-page complaint made public yesterday, alleges that the entrepreneur and engineer provided eight countries with stealth secrets, in two instances going abroad to train foreign nationals using classified information.

Gowadia, a former design engineer for Northrop Grumman and later a subcontractor at Los Alamos National Laboratories in New Mexico, told investigators that he "disclosed classified information and material both verbally and in papers, computer presentations, letters and other methods to individuals in foreign countries with the knowledge that information was classified," the criminal complaint states.

"I used examples based on my B-2 ... experience and knowledge," the Maui resident told investigators. "At that time I knew it was wrong and I did it for the money."

Donna Gray, the assistant federal public defender currently representing Gowadia, 61, did not return phone messages left at her office yesterday. Gowadia's wife did not return a message left on her cell phone yesterday.

The FBI says Gowadia drew from his experience as the principal architect of the B-2 propulsion system to create an "infrared suppression system" that he sold or offered for sale. The system, which can be used for military or civilian aircraft, allows planes to fly in enemy airspace without being detected by disguising the infrared signals emitted by the planes' engines.

OFFICIALS: 'NO COMMENT'

Gowadia has been charged with a single count of "willfully communicating national defense information to a person not entitled to receive it." If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison and fines. Gowadia was arrested Wednesday and is scheduled to appear at a detention hearing in federal court today.

At a news conference yesterday, Charles Goodwin, special agent in charge of the FBI's Ho-nolulu office, said the case is sensitive and ongoing. Flanked by representatives from the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the FBI, he declined to say if Gowadia was working alone and refused to answer questions.

"The sensitive nature and national security concerns don't make it possible for me to answer questions," he said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson, who is prosecuting the case, declined comment yesterday.

Dan McClain, a spokesman for Northrop Grumman, where Gowadia was employed as a design engineer from 1968 to 1986, said yesterday the company would have no comment, citing an ongoing FBI investigation.

According to the criminal complaint, Gowadia traveled to foreign countries to teach courses on "low observable and stealth technologies as they relate to passive aircraft defense systems such as infrared suppression."

During one trip in December 1999, Gowadia allegedly taught a course in an unnamed foreign country using material stored on a laptop computer. Air Force classification officers reviewed the material he used and determined that the course was classified, the criminal complaint said.

In an Oct. 14 interview with federal investigators, Gowadia acknowledged teaching the course and said he "disclosed classified information" during the course, the complaint states.

The course material was developed from classified information that Gowadia had access to while working for Northrop Grumman and while working as a contract engineer at Los Alamos National Laboratories, federal authorities said.

USE OF WIRETAPS

During a trip to another country, Gowadia told investigators that he revealed classified information at a training session on "low observable technology."

According to the criminal complaint, Gowadia was rewarded for his efforts.

His company, NSG Inc., reported nearly $750,000 in gross receipts from 1999 to 2003, the complaint states. However, Gowadia's income might be "significantly" greater because "investigation reveals that he likely maintains several bank accounts, some of which are foreign and unreported."

Federal agents gathered evidence in the case through wiretaps and the execution of a search warrant at Gowadia's Ha'iku home on Oct. 13.

During the search, federal agents seized classified documents dating from Gowadia's time at Northrop Grumman to the early 1990s, when Gowadia was employed as a contract engineer at Los Alamos.

A preliminary review of materials taken from Gowadia's home by Air Force classification officers showed a large amount of the material seized are "classified, potentially classified and/or stamped classified," the complaint states.

"Moreover, I have personally viewed documents containing graphs and other technical information which Gowadia apparently traced from existing classified documents," wrote Thatcher Mohajerin, the FBI agent who provided the affidavit in the complaint.

REVEALING INTERVIEW

On the day of the search, Gowadia told agents that he was aware of the rules governing the handling of classified information. He denied having any such information and repeated that he "understood the responsibilities involved in storing classified material."

But the next day, FBI agents and investigators with the U.S. Air Force's Office of Special Investigations interviewed Gowadia for a second time, according to the affidavit.

The agents asked Gowadia about documents found at his Ha'iku home that were marked classified.

During the interview, Gowadia provided a written statement to agents, according to the complaint, saying he disclosed classified information and material "to establish the technological credibility with potential customers for future business."

"I wanted to help this (sic) countries to further their self-aircraft protection systems," he wrote, according to the criminal complaint. "My personal gain would be business."

A North Holokai Road neighbor who said he met Gowadia and his wife about three years ago and had them over for tea on a couple of occasions, described the couple as quiet, private people who did not socialize much.

But Gowadia was not shy about talking about his background, said the neighbor, who did not want to be identified for privacy reasons. He said Gowadia referred to himself as "the father of stealth technology" and told his neighbor on their first meeting that he had an IQ of 220.

Gowadia also told the neighbor he grew up in a poor family in Bombay, India, and that he had given millions of dollars to charities outside of Hawai'i.

The neighbor said Gowadia spoke of stealth-type work he was doing to make commercial airliners "invisible" to missiles.

"He boasted a little about his achievements, but they wouldn't socialize," turning down invitations to dine at the neighbor's home. "He said that he and his wife didn't go out much."

SPIRITUAL INTERESTS

The Gowadias live in a custom home they built on a gated estate in Ulumalu, an isolated area in Ha'iku on Maui's north coast. The roof line of the spacious home resembles the shape of the B-2 stealth bombers Gowadia helped design.

The engineer had a deep interest in meditation and Eastern spirituality, the neighbor said, and the two had several lengthy conversations on the subject.

"He said he was interested in applying his knowledge of stealth technology to the practice of meditation," the neighbor said. On one occasion the neighbor asked Gowadia how he was able to reconcile his spirituality and religious beliefs with his military work.

"He said that ultimately, in the long run, his work ended up saving lives," the neighbor said.

Maui resident Laurie Terry said Gowadia was a pleasant, sociable man who lowered the price on his Kihei home roughly $100,000 so Terry and her husband could afford to buy it two years ago.

The Terrys paid $575,000, even though Gowadia and his wife probably could have sold it for much more in Maui's heated housing market, Laurie Terry said. "He came down about $100,000 in price because he felt sorry for me," she said. "He seemed like a really nice man."

Terry said she knew little about Gowadia's background other than he was of Indian descent. He didn't mention what he did for a living.

Earlier this year Gowadia returned to the Kihei neighborhood to see his old house, and Terry invited him inside to show how she and her husband had renovated it.

A few months later, Terry ran into Gowadia and his wife eating at a McDonald's at a Maui mall. "They were just really happy that we love the house."

Reach Peter Boylan at pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.