{"id":2040443,"date":"2023-09-21T17:53:06","date_gmt":"2023-09-21T21:53:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/state-department-it-administrator-indicted-on-charges-of-leaking-intelligence-reports-to-foreign-spy\/"},"modified":"2023-09-21T17:58:12","modified_gmt":"2023-09-21T21:58:12","slug":"state-department-it-administrator-indicted-on-charges-of-leaking-intelligence-reports-to-foreign-spy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/state-department-it-administrator-indicted-on-charges-of-leaking-intelligence-reports-to-foreign-spy\/","title":{"rendered":"IT admin indicted for leaking intel reports to foreign spies."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fstate-department-it-administrator-indicted-on-charges-of-leaking-intelligence-reports-to-foreign-spy%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2040443&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Former State Department IT \u2062Administrator Accused of Espionage<\/h2>\n<p>A former\u2064 State \u200cDepartment information\u200c technology administrator\u2064 has been indicted for procuring classified U.S. intelligence reports for a foreign intelligence official, according to federal officials.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;The two espionage charges carry a potential penalty \u200bof death or any term of years\u200c up to \u200blife in prison, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/state-department-it-administrator-indicted-on-charges-of-leaking-intelligence-reports-to-foreign-spy\/\" title=\"IT admin indicted for leaking intel reports to foreign spies.\">willful retention charge carries<\/a> a\u200c maximum penalty of 10 years in prison,&#8221; the Justice Department \u200bnoted. &#8220;A federal judge will determine any sentence based \u200con the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Abraham Teklu Lemma, a Maryland \u200dresident, is accused of exploiting \u2062his position as a &#8220;help desk technician&#8221; in the State Department&#8217;s intelligence bureau to provide \u2063classified information to a\u2064 foreign spy in exchange for cash\u2062 payments. The case involves an African country, where \u2064Lemma has family ties.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Lemma copied and pasted information from at least 85 Intelligence Reports regarding many topics \u2014 the majority of\u200b which relate to the Relevant Country,&#8221; said an FBI counterintelligence officer. &#8220;Lemma copied and pasted classified information from Intelligence Reports \u2063from non-DOS classified portals into Microsoft Word documents \u200bon\u200c the classified DOS computer system &#8230; Reports that Lemma was reviewing\u200c and copying were classified at the TOP\u2064 SECRET and SECRET levels, and also related primarily to the Relevant Country.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Lemma, who is also a Justice Department &#8220;contract management analyst,&#8221; and his alleged \u200dforeign intelligence handler used an \u2063<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-charges-iranian-in-plot-to-murder-ex-trump-adviser-john-bolton\/\" title=\"DOJ Charges Iranian in Plot to Murder Ex-Trump Adviser John Bolton\">encrypted messaging application<\/a> to communicate military activities of a rebel group involved in an armed struggle against the government\u2062 of the Relevant Country.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;[W]e\u200c making [sic] significant progress on averting the \u2026 in few days we will achieve the critical milestones,&#8221; the foreign intelligence\u200b official is quoted as \u2062writing to Lemma. \u2062&#8221;[I]t is\u2064 great to \u2063identify the forward \u2064deployed command centers and\u2064 logistic \u2062centers.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Unbeknownst to \u2063Lemma, his access\u2064 to the intelligence information was observed on multiple occasions. He drew attention to himself by depositing large sums of cash \u200dinto his bank account and \u200dattempting to discourage an employee from filing a required\u200b currency transaction report.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Specifically, Lemma tried to convince the employee that his transaction was not subject to reporting despite deposits in excess of $10,000,&#8221; the affidavit states. &#8220;Review of \u200cLemma&#8217;s U.S. Bank 1 account records further revealed that Lemma made several large deposits, totaling in excess of\u200b $55,000, into U.S. Bank 1 between January 1, 2022 until July 17, 2023 &#8230; Lemma intentionally structured his transactions to avoid such reporting requirements.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h3>Source:<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/former-state-department-it-administrator-indicted-espionage\">Washington Examiner<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How can organizations\u2062 like the State Department enhance their defense mechanisms against\u2063 internal security breaches and\u200d safeguard sensitive information<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Ed classified documents from\u200b secure databases onto external storage devices, which he then passed on to the foreign intelligence official,&#8221; said U.S. Attorney John C. Mandel. &#8220;His actions put U.S. national\u2064 security at risk and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ftx-sues-bankman-fried-others-to-recoup-fraudulent-transfers\/\" title=\"FTX is taking legal action against Bankman-Fried and others to recover fraudulent transfers.\">compromised sensitive information<\/a> that could potentially be used\u200c against us.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Lemma&#8217;s alleged espionage activities were brought to \u200clight after \u200can internal audit discovered irregularities in the handling of classified information. The audit revealed that Lemma had accessed \u200dand downloaded a\u200b significant amount of classified material without legitimate reason. Further investigation revealed that he had been in\u200c contact with a foreign intelligence official and had received multiple \u200bcash payments in exchange for the classified information.<\/p>\n<p>The motive behind Lemma&#8217;s actions remains unclear. While family ties to\u200c the African country in question suggest a possible connection,\u2062 investigators have not provided further details \u200dregarding his potential motivations. The State Department&#8217;s intelligence bureau plays a crucial role in national security, and any breach\u200d of trust within \u200dits ranks is a \u200dmatter of utmost concern.<\/p>\n<p>The charges against Lemma are serious and carry severe penalties. Espionage \u2064is considered one of the \u2063most \u2064significant threats to national security, as it\u2064 involves the unauthorized disclosure of classified information to foreign entities. The potential consequences of such actions\u200c are far-reaching, encompassing the compromise of intelligence sources, methods, \u200dand critical defense plans.<\/p>\n<p>It is essential to\u2064 highlight that this case does not \u2062reflect the overall integrity and commitment of the vast majority of individuals working within the State Department and its intelligence bureau. The accusations against Lemma \u2064are isolated and must\u200b not overshadow the\u2062 dedication and professionalism demonstrated by\u200c countless public servants who work to protect \u200bnational security every day.<\/p>\n<p>The\u2062 indictment against\u2063 Lemma \u200cunderscores the importance of robust security protocols and constant vigilance in safeguarding sensitive information. As technology evolves and cyber threats become\u200d more sophisticated, it is imperative for organizations to enhance their defense mechanisms against internal security breaches.<\/p>\n<p>The outcome of this case will serve as a reminder that espionage will not be tolerated, and those who betray their country&#8217;s trust \u2064will \u200dbe prosecuted to the fullest extent \u200dof the law. National security is a collective responsibility, and incidents like\u200d this emphasize the need for continued \u2064diligence in identifying and preventing potential security breaches.<\/p>\n<p>As this case proceeds, it is crucial for policymakers and security agencies to review and strengthen existing protocols\u200c to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future. Additionally, efforts should be made to enhance employee screening processes and provide training on the importance of safeguarding classified information.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, the indictment of Abraham Teklu Lemma,\u200d a former\u2062 State Department IT administrator, on charges of espionage is a stark reminder of the threats faced by national\u200d security agencies. This case emphasizes \u2063the \u200cneed for constant vigilance \u2064and robust security measures to safeguard against internal security breaches. \u200dIt is essential to maintain the integrity of organizations like the State Department&#8217;s intelligence bureau and to hold individuals accountable for their actions when they betray their country&#8217;s trust.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A former State Department IT administrator obtained classified U.S. intelligence reports for a foreign official, as per a recently revealed indictment. The charges include espionage, punishable by death or life imprisonment, and willful retention, with a maximum penalty.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2040444,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2040443","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2040443","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2040443"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2040443\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2040444"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2040443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2040443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2040443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}