A former government contractor with a top-secret security clearance was arrested Tuesday on charges of sharing classified military materials on social media, unlawfully keeping national defense information at home and stealing Army night vision goggles, officials announced Friday
James Thomas Ashbacher, 37, of Spring Lake, North Carolina, faces charges of unlawfully transmitting and retaining national defense information and theft of government property, according to an indictment unsealed Tuesday.
An indictment is an accusation. Ashbacher is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
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☑ Defendant: James Thomas Ashbacher, 37.
☑ Residence: Spring Lake, North Carolina.
☑ Employment: Former government contractor supporting Army Special Operations Command.
☑ Clearance: Top secret with access to sensitive compartmented information.
☑ Charges: Unlawful transmission and retention of national defense information; theft of government property.
☑ Allegations: Shared classified military materials online and kept additional information at home.
☑ Equipment: Investigators reported recovering missing Army night vision goggles.
☑ Investigation: FBI Charlotte, assisted by Army criminal investigators.
☑ Status: Charges are allegations; defendant presumed innocent.
Beginning around 2021, Ashbacher worked for a private company that provided security and emergency management services at the U.S. Army Special Operations Command facility at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, according to the indictment. His job required a top-secret security clearance with access to sensitive compartmented information.
Prosecutors allege Ashbacher photographed and removed videos and photographs depicting classified military operations without authorization, the
n transmitted the materials to a social media site. Other users later reposted the materials on a second platform.
In a private message, Ashbacher asked a social media user to remove some of the materials, saying he was “trying to do some damage control,” according to the indictment.
Investigators searching his residence also found a classified award document containing additional national defense information, authorities said. They also recovered a night vision goggle system assigned to a military unit within Army Special Operations Command that had been reported missing.
The FBI’s Charlotte Field Office is investigating, with assistance from Army criminal investigators.