A U.S. government contractor was arrested on Aug. 24 based on espionage charges in a complaint unsealed Thursday, according to federal authorities.
According to the criminal complaint, between or about Dec. 19, 2022, and Aug. 7, 2023, Lemma copied classified information from intelligence reports and deleted the classification markings from them.
Lemma then removed the information, which was classified as SECRET and TOP SECRET, from secure facilities at the Department of State.
According to the charging documents, Lemma used an encrypted application to transmit classified national defense information to a foreign government official associated with a foreign country’s intelligence service.
In these communications, Lemma expressed an interest and willingness to assist the foreign government official by providing information.
In one communication, the foreign official stated, “[i]t’s time to continue ur support.” Lemma responded, “Roger that!” In other chats, the foreign official tasked Lemma to focus on information related to particular subjects, and Lemma responded “[a]bsolutely, I have been focusing on that all this week . . . .”
As alleged in the criminal complaint, the classified national defense information Lemma transferred to the foreign official included satellite imagery and other information regarding military activities in the foreign country and region.
In convicted of the crimes, Lemma faces up to life in prison or the death penalty for the espionage charges.
The FBI’s Washington Field Office, the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, and the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tejpal Chawla and Alexandra Hughes for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorneys Heather Schmidt and Kathryn DeMarco of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.