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ALEXANDRIA, Virginia (CNN) -- A federal judge has postponed for one month court proceedings in the case of accused spy Brian Regan.

The retired Air Force sergeant was arrested last week and had been scheduled to enter a plea at a preliminary hearing Wednesday. A detention hearing had also been set.

But U.S. Magistrate W. Curtis Sewell delayed the proceedings until September 28 after an agreement between government prosecutors and Regan's court-appointed attorney. The delay allows Regan time to discuss a defense strategy, and allows prosecutors to avoid calling witnesses to present potentially sensitive testimony.

Regan is charged with conspiracy to commit espionage for providing classified documents to another country, which sources identified as Libya.

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Regan was arrested Thursday as he attempted to leave the United States for Europe. Court documents say Regan had the names and numbers of contacts in his carry-on luggage and in his shoe.

Regan's lawyer, Nina Ginsburg, was to meet him for the first time Tuesday after U.S. marshals transported him from a central Virginia jail facility to the Washington suburb of Alexandria.

Ginsburg previously represented convicted FBI turncoat Earl Pitts and Australian Jean Phillippe Wespeleare, convicted of trying to sell U.S. government secrets.