Nearby: Potomac Man Gets Home Detention for Obstructing Investigation

Making false statements to investigators conducting a background investigation for a high-level government security clearance is a serious matter—the offense recently netted one Potomac man six months of home detention with electric monitoring as part of three years of probation, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release.

Gurpreet Singh Kohli, 58, was found guilty of obstructing agency proceedings in connection with false statements he made to investigators during his background investigation for a high-level government security clearance.

Kohli received the sentence and a $30,000 fine for not telling to his employer—a Maryland defense electronics and weapons manufacturer for which he was required to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance—that he also operated NAVTEC, a registered broker in the sale and transfer of U.S.-manufactured defense electronics, according to the news release.

Kohli was responsible for the day-to-day decision making and operations of NAVTEC, from November 2002 through March 2011, according to the Department of Justice.

The majority of NAVTEC's customers were Indian government and military and defense-related agencies.

But Kohli did not tell his employer the full scope of his activities with NAVTEC, nor did he tell NAVTEC'S U.S.-based clients about his employment with the Maryland manufacturer, according to the Justice Department.

Federal prosecutors said Kohli lied during investigations by the Office of Personnel Management in relation to his security clearance to work for the defense contractor. When interviewed in 2010 by FBI agents because of his son’s application for employment with the FBI, Kohli reportedly minimized his son’s role with NAVTEC and falsely stated that his wife ran the company.