[El Cid]

...It is not classified, has no links to actual plant workings and can't be used to affect operations.
Employees were encouraged to download the software and work on it at home, according to officials with the Arizona Public Service Co., the Phoenix-based utility company that operates Palo Verde....

Although a case could be made to prohibit foreign nationals from countries avowed to pursue America's destruction (e.g., Iran) from working in sensitive industries - that apparently is not the law. And although a case could be made to disqualify islamics from First Amendment rights since their religion codifies violence against those that don't believe in islam -- that also is not the law (yet)...

From what I read this gentleman took some unclassified software 'home' that his company encouraged their employees to take 'home'.
I don't see the crime.

[darkwing104]

It’s the software he downloaded. They most likely had an agreement Palo Verde that it was not to leave the country or be given to the software company's competitors. Thus a trade violation had occurred.

It may be possible this unclassified information was a tool to reinforce his knowledge of plant operations would make it a possible security risk. When I was in MI I learned how to put together snippets of Unclassified information to get a damn good idea of a classified operation. This may be the case.

[Star Traveler]

I don't see the crime.

Of course not. Other than the kind of crime that someone could get in trouble for, by taking home a box of pencils or a ream of paper from work. I mean, people are not supposed to do that, but it's not a national security matter.

Regards,
Star Traveler