Particle.news
Download on the App Store
62 ARTICLES
·
7h ago

U.S. Adviser Ashley Tellis Charged With Unlawful Retention of Defense Secrets

Prosecutors say surveillance captured him printing classified files, with more than 1,000 marked pages later recovered at his Virginia home.

Ashley Tellis in Mumbai, India, on March 15, 2014.
Image
Image
Image

Overview

  • Tellis was arrested and charged under 18 U.S.C. § 793(e) after a court-authorized Oct. 11 search found over 1,000 pages labeled top secret or secret at his Vienna residence.
  • An FBI affidavit alleges he accessed State and Defense Department systems in late September and early October, printed classified material, and hid pages in notepads and a briefcase.
  • Investigators say one file concerning U.S. Air Force tactics totaled 1,288 pages and was renamed “Econ Reform” before selected pages were printed and the file deleted.
  • Filings describe multiple restaurant meetings with Chinese government officials from 2022 to 2025, though they do not allege he provided classified information to them.
  • He was ordered detained pending a hearing next week, faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted, and has been placed on administrative leave by the Carnegie Endowment.