An Ethiopian-born contractor, Abraham Teklu Lemma, who had worked for the State and Justice departments in the United States, has been apprehended and charged with transmitting classified information to Ethiopia.
The Justice Department alleges that Abraham Teklu Lemma, aged 50, had been sharing classified information with an individual linked to Ethiopia’s intelligence service since August of the previous year.
While the department did not explicitly mention the African nation he was accused of spying for, it has been reported by various US media outlets, including the New York Times, as Ethiopia.
Lemma is facing three charges, including collecting or conveying defense information to support a foreign government, unauthorized possession of national defense information, and willfully retaining it.
A naturalized US citizen of Ethiopian descent residing in Silver Spring, Maryland, Lemma worked as an IT administrator for the Department of State and as a management analyst for the Department of Justice.
He had been granted top-secret security clearance and access to classified US systems.
If convicted of espionage, he could potentially face the death penalty.