Government employee arrested for taking home top secret files

Federal prosecutors accused a 64-year-old federal employee of illegally keeping classified defense information, according to a Tuesday release from the Department of Justice. Investigators allegedly seized over 1,000 pages of classified documents from Ashley Tellis’ north Virginia home. Officials recovered secret and top secret materials from Tellis’ home stored in his basement office space, in locked filing cabinets and in trash bags, according to the DOJ.

Being entrusted with the nation’s most sensitive information is a privilege and solemn responsibility, according to Sue J. Bai, the principal deputy assistant attorney general for the DOJ’s National Security Division. Tellis must be held accountable for breaching the nation's trust and illegally exploiting his security clearance, she added.

Why did he take the documents? Prosecutors did not identify a possible motive for Tellis. The man served as both a Defense Department contractor and a State Department employee, according to the DOJ. Tellis allegedly accessed classified documents at secured facilities on various occasions.

The DOJ cited one instance of Tellis appearing to be taking steps to cover his information retention. Prosecutors alleged that the contractor changed a classified document’s digital file name, printing portions of the renamed document, then deleting the renamed file. Prosecutors also cited witness testimony of Tellis placing classified materials into a notepad which he then stowed in his personal briefcase before leaving a secured facility.

Court documents show Tellis was released on Tuesday after his arrest earlier this month. The DOJ noted that the charges are merely allegations and Tellis is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Dig deeper: Read my recent report on a retired Army officer going to jail for sharing national intelligence while chatting on a dating app.