A former defense contractor was arrested Wednesday evening in South Dakota for an alleged attempt to send information to Russia, the Justice Department said.

John Murray Rowe Jr. of Lead, S.D., is charged with attempting to communicate national defense information to aid a foreign government, the agency said in a statement. He faces up to a life sentence in prison if convicted.

Row, who is originally from Massachusetts, was a test engineer for nearly 40 years for multiple defense contractors, the Justice Department said. Because of this, he held various national security clearances.