A former NSA contractor who's been accused of taking classified information from the government will remain in jail.
The classified files filled his home, his shed and even his car, and by all accounts, Harold "Hal" Martin III had spent two decades amassing more secret documents than he could read in a lifetime.
Martin's attorney, James Wyda, argued before the court that his client was a hoarder, but his actions never harmed anyone.
On that point, Judge Richard D. Bennett disagreed saying the harm has already occurred since Martin's thefts created a lack of confidence in both the public's mind and in that of the intelligence agency.
The appeal came after a magistrate judge ruled a week ago to detain the former contractor, but Martin's attorney had argued that decision relied too heavily upon the government's argument that the defendant could pose a danger if he fell into the hands of a foreign enemy.
On the sole issue of whether he would be a flight risk, they argued he had spent three decades in the service of his country, that he had never intended to do anyone any harm and that he has been cooperating with the feds to uncover the depths of his thefts.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Harvey Eisenberg painted a very different picture of Martin pointing out that agents also discovered he owned a virtual arsenal of weapons including an assault rifle and nine handguns, including a loaded one found behind the driver's seat of his car.
He also pointed out Martin is now virtually unemployable, in debt and is facing decades of prison time so he would have little to lose making a run for it.
Ultimately, the judge ruled, in the absence of any mental health evidence, no one can explain Martin's bizarre behavior over the last 20 years while he was pilfering classified material making him what he called an "unknown quantity", and a man who he could not set free under any conditions at least for now.
With that said, Martin's wife had little to say as she left the courthouse.
"There's nothing I can say. It is what it is,” said Deborah Shaw, “What do you mean, 'What is it?' He's detained."
Martin worked for Booz Allen Hamilton---the same NSA contractor that Edward Snowden worked for before he went rogue, exposing how the agency could eavesdrop on American's telephone calls and becoming an international fugitive.
Martin is accused of stealing vast amounts of government documents and files, then storing them in his Glen Burnie Home.
He was arrested back in August 2016. Authorities called the theft "breathtaking in its longevity and scale."
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