US Government Contractor Arrested on Espionage Charges for Allegedly Spying on Behalf of a Foreign Government
A US government contractor, originally from Ethiopia, faces espionage charges for allegedly spying on behalf of a foreign government. (Photo: ts2.shop)
US Government Contractor Arrested for Espionage, Accused of Sharing Classified Information with Foreign Nation
According to the VOA News, a US government contractor, Abraham Teklu Lemma, originally from Ethiopia, has been arrested on espionage charges for allegedly providing classified information to an undisclosed foreign nation. He is accused of downloading and printing classified materials from his work computer system. Lemma had a top-secret security clearance and accessed classified data through contracting positions with the US Departments of State and Justice.
Court documents reveal that he used encrypted messaging to send maps, photographs, and satellite imagery to the foreign government. Though the Justice Department did not confirm the nation in question, The New York Times identified Ethiopia as the likely recipient of his espionage activities.
Lemma, a 50-year-old resident of Silver Spring, Maryland, and a naturalized US citizen, worked as a US government contractor. His alleged actions included accessing multiple intelligence reports, copying their contents, and saving them to CDs and DVDs. He now faces charges related to delivering national defense information to a foreign government, conspiring to do so, and retaining national defense information. It is unclear whether he has legal representation.
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US Government Contractor Accused of Espionage Acknowledged Ongoing Support from Foreign Official, Prompting Internal Security Review
According to AP News, prosecutors have also revealed that Lemma, a US government contractor, communicated with a foreign official who tasked him with providing information on various topics, including military matters such as command centers and rebel activities opposing the government. An FBI agent’s affidavit indicates that when the official informed Lemma in September that it was time to continue his support, Lemma responded with a simple, “Roger that!”
Furthermore, the State Department disclosed that they became aware of US government contractor Lemma’s potential mishandling of classified information during an internal 60-day security review. This review was prompted by the arrest of a Massachusetts Air National Guardsman in April for leaking highly classified military documents on a social media platform. The department plans to implement additional security measures based on recommendations from the review to enhance the safeguarding of classified information.
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