James Thomas Ashbacher, a resident of North Carolina and ex-U.S. government contractor, was apprehended by the FBI this week for leaking sensitive classified information. He faces charges of illegally transmitting and retaining national defense information, along with theft of government property.
As reported by the Department of Justice, Ashbacher was employed from roughly 2021 until March 19, 2024, by a private entity that provided security services at the U.S. Army Special Operations Command facility located at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. His role necessitated a Top Secret security clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information.
The indictment claims that Ashbacher unlawfully photographed and removed classified materials, specifically videos and photographs of military operations, which were designated as SECRET. These materials were subsequently shared on a social media platform, and later reposted to another.
In a private message dated around February 2, 2024, Ashbacher urged another user to delete certain mentions and to “take ‘em down, tuck them away, and repost them in a year or two when my contract ends lol.” He expressed concerns about his predicament, stating, “Just trying to save my ass… It is what it is….” He noted his awareness that others likely retained the sensitive files, while attempting to mitigate the fallout.
After deactivating his account the next day, a court-authorized search of Ashbacher’s home on April 30, 2025, uncovered a document resembling a classified military award write-up marked SECRET//NOFORN, along with additional sensitive information. Agents also found a missing night vision goggle system specific to a military unit, valued at approximately $40,000, which Ashbacher confessed to taking.
The indictment details the captured materials, which included nine or ten videos. Six of them disclosed unit-specific strategies and procedures, while one included data on specialized programs designed to counter foreign adversaries’ capabilities.
Prosecutors assert that Ashbacher was aware that the stolen classified materials contained vital national defense information and that their exposure could harm the United States or benefit foreign entities.
The investigation is being led by the FBI’s Charlotte Field Office with significant support from the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigative Division, as noted in a DOJ press release.
Former Fort Bragg contractor charged with leaking military secrets https://t.co/jpOficjcoz
— Task & Purpose (@TaskandPurpose) October 31, 2026
