Story highlights Martin was charged in August with stealing government propertyHis defense team said the government has no evidence that Martin shared the information(CNN) A federal judge in Baltimore on Friday ordered the detention of Harold Martin III, the former government contractor accused of stealing a vast amount of sensitive intelligence information. After hearing arguments for over an hour, US District Magistrate Judge A. David Copperthite agreed with the government that Martin poses a serious "risk of flight" and said he felt compelled to enter the detention order given Martin's history, conduct and the "nature of the offense charged." Martin -- a 51-year-old former contractor to the National Security Agency with consulting firm Booz Allen -- was charged in August with stealing government property and unauthorized removal of classified materials after searches of his home and car revealed thousands of hard-copy and digital files containing classified information. "It is clear that the defendant has been engaged in this conduct for 18 or 20 years," Copperthite said. Entering the courtroom in handcuffs, glasses and a gray-striped jumpsuit, Martin took a seat at the counsel's table and sat silently throughout the hearing -- wiping his eyes at one point as his attorney spoke about his love of America.

Source: CNN October 21, 2016 22:30 UTC