From The Trussville Tribune staff reports

BIRMINGHAM – Today a Madison, Alabama woman pled guilty in federal court to making a false statement, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr.

XI QING YUN a/k/a Carolyn Xi, 52, entered her plea before U.S. District Judge Abdul K. Kallon. Xi was employed by the Army’s Aviation and Missile Research Development and Engineering Center at Redstone Arsenal, when she failed to disclose foreign contacts on a questionnaire for a national security position. She is scheduled for sentencing before Judge Kallon on February 21, 2019 in Huntsville.

“It is critical that people with a security clearance, or people applying for a security clearance, are upfront and honest regarding questions about foreign contacts and their background,” Town said. “A failure to be honest compromises the integrity of checks put in place to protect our national security.”

“Ms. Xi’s lack of candor not only called into question her reliability, trustworthiness, and ability to protect sensitive information, it also resulted in her prosecution,” Sharp said. Let this be a lesson to those seeking a position of trust with the United States—show you can be trusted by being truthful in your responses for a security clearance.”

The maximum penalty for making a false statement is 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

FBI and Army Counterintelligence investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Davis Barlow and Trial Attorney Scott Claffee, National Security Division are prosecuting.