US gov IT worker pleads guilty to sending Top Secret files to Ethiopia
Help desk technician agrees to minimum 10-year jail term after being caught copying files for more than 2 years
Abraham Teklu Lemma, a 53-year-old naturalized US citizen, has admitted to sending classified government documents to Ethiopia. The IT specialist, who worked for various US departments including the National Reconnaissance Office, State Department, and Justice Department, pleaded guilty to espionage charges. He held Top Secret clearance and worked in a secure facility for handling classified files.
Lemma was granted "downdraft" authority to move classified files between systems but was only permitted to access classified files on non-DoS systems with written approval. Prosecutors allege that Lemma copied over 133 intelligence reports without proper authorization, downloaded and burned more than 100 documents, and transmitted the material to Ethiopian officials through encrypted messaging apps.
He allegedly encouraged them to take action against paramilitary groups and even told them to send rockets. Lemma also stored copies of the classified files on his own storage drives and made large bank deposits. The FBI's Counterintelligence and Espionage Division stated that Lemma betrayed the country by providing classified national defense information to Ethiopian officials, who used it in military operations.
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