A former employee of a U.S. Department of Defense component agency is facing up to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to mishandling classified documents. Margaret Anne Ashby, 26, from Henderson, Nevada, awaits sentencing following her guilty plea to Unauthorized Removal/Retention of Classified Documents. This was announced by Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
Ashby's guilty plea could result in a sentence of up to five years in federal prison, substantial financial penalties, and up to three years of supervised release after any prison term. It is important to note that there is no parole in the federal system.
“Maintaining confidentiality of sensitive government documents is essential to protecting our citizens,” stated U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Those who are granted the privilege of working with such material are well aware of the rules regarding the safekeeping of these documents, and also are aware of the consequences for failing to comply with those rules.”
According to the plea agreement, Ashby was employed as a civilian at a Department of Defense component agency located in the Southern District of Georgia starting March 2020 and held a Top Secret security clearance required for her job.
Between February 2022 and May 2022, Ashby knowingly removed documents containing classified information without authority. These materials concerned "the national defense or foreign relations of the United States" and were retained at unauthorized locations including her residence and digital files on a personal computing device within the Southern District of Georgia.
U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall will schedule Ashby's sentencing hearing after a pre-sentence investigation by U.S. Probation Services is completed.
“When people violate the trust given to them to safeguard our nation’s intelligence, they put our country at risk,” said FBI Atlanta Assistant Agent in Charge Brian Ozden. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will seek to hold accountable those who knowingly and willfully mishandle classified information.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys L. Alexander Hamner and Darron J. Hubbard, along with Trial Attorney David J. Ryan from the U.S. Department of Justice Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.