RICHMOND COUNTY, Ga. – Margaret Anne Ashby, a former civilian employee of a U.S. Department of Defense component agency, has been sentenced to 36 months in federal prison for unlawfully removing and retaining classified documents.
Ashby, 26, of Henderson, Nevada, pleaded guilty to the charge of Unauthorized Removal/Retention of Classified Documents. U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall also imposed a $15,000 fine and ordered Ashby to serve three years of supervised release following her prison term. As is customary in the federal system, there is no possibility of parole.
“This sentence serves as a clear reminder that handling sensitive government documents with the utmost care is essential,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tara M. Lyons. “Margaret Ashby is being held accountable for her actions in violating the laws that govern those entrusted with this critical material.”
Court documents and testimony outlined that Ashby, employed by the Department of Defense since March 2020, had been granted a Top Secret security clearance. Between February and May of 2022, she illegally removed and retained documents containing classified information related to national defense and foreign relations. Ashby kept the documents in unauthorized locations, including her residence in the Southern District of Georgia and on a personal computing device.
“Individuals with access to Top Secret information have mandatory responsibilities to safeguard our nation’s intelligence,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “When that trust is violated, it jeopardizes national security, and we will continue to work with our partners to protect the American people by ensuring classified information is properly handled.”
The case was investigated by the FBI, with prosecution led by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys L. Alexander Hamner and Darron J. Hubbard, along with Trial Attorney David J. Ryan of the U.S. Department of Justice Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
