Oct. 31 (UPI) — A former U.S. government contractor was arrested after allegedly sharing classified military information on social media and stealing night-vision equipment from an Army Special Operations facility, officials said Friday.
James Thomas Ashbacher, 37 of Spring Lake, N.C., was arrested Tuesday by the FBI following a federal indictment accusing him of unlawfully transmitting and keeping national defense information.
He also faces a charge of stealing government property.
Prosecutors said Ashbacher began working in 2021 for a private company that provided security and emergency management services at Fort Bragg.
His position gave him access to classified military information through a top-secret security clearance.
Investigators said Ashbacher photographed and copied material depicting classified military operations without authorization.
He allegedly uploaded the images and videos to a social media platform, where other users later shared them on another site.
A search of his home uncovered an award document containing classified defense information, investigators said.
Agents also recovered a night-vision system belonging to an Army Special Operations unit that had previously been reported missing.
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