SPRINGFIELD - A Chinese-born former defense contractor will serve six months of house arrest and five years of probation for lifting classified computer files while working overseas for the U.S. Army.

Wei Chen, 62, of Westfield. narrowly missed serving one year in federal prison - the term federal prosecutors were seeking. Under a plea agreement, Chen admitted to two criminal counts: damaging an Army computer and making false statements regarding his prior service with the People's Liberation Army of China.

Chen was working as a computer systems analyst in a war zone in Kuwait in 2013 when he received notice he was set to be transferred to Afghanistan. He copied classified files onto a personal thumb drive for his own convenience. The government was not amused. It launched a full investigation, suspecting Chen may be a Chinese spy.

In the midst of the probe, investigators also discovered Chen had covered up the fact that he spent six years as a member of the Chinese Communist Party's armed forces in the 1970s. A federal prosecutor told U.S. District Judge Mark G. Mastroianni that Chen failed two polygraphs and lied about the role he played in that army.

"Initially he disclosed he was just a cook. After, he disclosed he had served in an anti-aircraft unit," said Assistant U.S. Attorney B. Stephanie Siegmann, arguing Chen knew he never would have gotten the "very lucrative" job if he revealed his history on his initial application.

Ultimately, investigators were satisfied Chen was not trying to steal state secrets. His lawyer argued that Chen was merely trying to copy some of his own templates and documents to take with him to his new post in Afghanistan.

"We brought these charges even though we found he's not a Chinese spy," Siegmann told the judge, adding that Chen unplugged a cable and disabled a program that would have alerted others to his use of a thumb drive to copy files, which is expressly prohibited.

"The defendant's actions were not spontaneous. They were not merely mistakes," Siegmann said, imploring Mastroianni to send Chen to prison for a year or risk sending a message that he got "a slap on the wrist."

The prosecutor said that among the files Chen copied from the "SIPRNet," or secret computer network system the government uses to exchange classified information, were two files about troop movements.

Defense lawyer Lori H. Levinson, however, told the judge that Chen and his wife, both naturalized American citizens, are a patriotic couple who love their adopted country.

"I've been to their home. They fly the American flag. They have Fourth of July parties. This is a proud American family." Levinson said. "He does take full responsibility for committing potentially really serious crimes. As it turns out in this case, thank God, he didn't have any malicious intent against the United States."

Levinson said the fallout after Chen's 2015 arrest was total financial ruin for his family. His wife and daughter also lost their jobs, and he is unable to get hired anywhere else.

"You have to wear ski jackets in their house. They couldn't turn the heat on all winter because they have no money," Levinson said.

Chen addressed the court himself, apologizing to the government and the U.S. Army but asking Mastroianni to spare him prison time.

"No words can describe how regretful I am. I would rather trade a limb of mine. It has been a devastating personal and family disaster," Chen said. "Please save limited prison space for violent criminals and terrorists."

Mastroianni said imprisoning Chen for a year would cost the taxpayers $30,000 as opposed to a $4,000 price tag for probation. He also imposed a $4,000 fine.