Top-secret security clearance gave Ashbacher access to classified military information
Federal prosecutors said Ashbacher began working for a private company in 2021. The company provided security and emergency management services at Fort Bragg. His position gave him access to classified military information through a top-secret security clearance.
The FBI arrested Ashbacher, 37, of Spring Lake, N.C., on Tuesday, officials said Friday, following a federal indictment. The indictment accuses him of unlawfully transmitting and keeping national defense information. He also faces a charge of stealing government property.
Officials said Ashbacher allegedly shared classified military information on social media and stole night-vision equipment from an Army Special Operations facility. Investigators said he photographed and copied material depicting classified military operations without authorization.
Investigators said Ashbacher allegedly uploaded the images and videos to a social media platform, where other users later shared them on another site.
A search of Ashbacher’s home uncovered an award document containing classified defense information, investigators said. Officials said agents recovered a night-vision system belonging to an Army Special Operations unit that had previously been reported missing.