Defense contractor pleads guilty to aiding North Korea scheme

John Allen Kurrle Jr., a defense contractor with top secret security clearance, pleaded guilty to helping North Korea's remote worker scheme. He allowed co-conspirators to use his identity for 88 job applications, resulting in nine offers at U.S. companies, including military AI contractors. The longest position lasted three weeks. The Justice Department investigation exposed North Korea's efforts to infiltrate U.S. defense and tech companies through identity fraud.