AUGUSTA, Ga. — An ex-Department of Defense employee has been sentenced for illegally removing documents from a secure facility.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in March 2020, Margaret Anne Ashby, 26, of Henderson, Nev. was hired by a Department of Defense component agency as a civilian employee. The agency is located in the Southern District of Georgia.
Officials said that Ashby had a Top Secret security clearance as part of her job.
TRENDING STORIES:
- 22-year-old says she started Floyd County wildfire because she was mad at her dad, report says
- GameStop to close ‘significant number’ of stores this year
- Armed robbers violently attack man on Atlanta Beltline near skate park
Court documents revealed that from February 2022 to May 2022, Ashby, without authorization, knowingly removed documents and materials containing classified information described in the plea agreement as “concerning the national defense or foreign relations of the United States.” She did so “with the intent to retain them at unauthorized locations, including her residence in the Southern District of Georgia and in digital files saved via a personal computing device located in the Southern District of Georgia.”
Ashby pleaded guilty to unauthorized removal/retention of classified documents. On Thursday, a judge sentenced the 26-year-old to three years in prison with three years of supervised release and a $15,000 fine.
“This sentence should serve as a reminder to all personnel who handle sensitive government documents that their proper handling is of paramount importance,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lyons. “Margaret Ashby is being held accountable for violating the laws that govern those entrusted to work with these materials.”
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2025 Cox Media Group
