KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- A retired University of Tennessee professor is accused of conspiring to provide military secrets to a Chinese graduate student.

J. Reece Roth was indicted Tuesday on 18 charges related to violating the Arms Export Control Act and trying to defraud the U.S. Air Force.

The charges involve work performed by Roth and the student on an Air Force contract to develop flight controls for weapons-deploying unmanned aircraft.

The government says Roth failed to get permission to involve a foreign national in the work, carried sensitive documents on a lecture trip to China and directed wire transmissions of restricted technical data to China.

Roth's attorney says his client has done nothing illegal and conducted himself ethically and honestly.

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