Vienna resident and former CIA employee Asif Rahman, 34, has been sentenced to 37 months in federal prison. Rahman was arrested last November and charged with two counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information related to the national defense. He pled guilty to the charges in January.
According to court documents, as a CIA employee, Rahman had a top secret security clearance that gave him access to sensitive information. A U.S. Department of Justice press release stated that, “On October 17, 2024, Rahman accessed and printed two top secret documents containing national defense information regarding a U.S. foreign ally and its planned actions against a foreign adversary. Rahman removed the documents, photographed them, and transmitted them to individuals he knew were not entitled to receive them. By October 18, 2024, the documents appeared publicly on multiple social media platforms, complete with the classification markings.”
The top-secret information included details of Israeli plans to attack Iranian defense systems last October, the Associated Press reported. Israel reportedly delayed its attacks based on the leaked information but ultimately attacked multiple Iranian sites on October 26.
The FBI arrested Rahman when he arrived to work on November 12, 2024. He has remained in custody since his arrest. He faced a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count in the plea agreement.
“Asif Rahman violated his position of trust by illegally accessing, removing, and transmitting top secret documents vital to the national security of the United States and its allies,” Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said in the release. “The urgency with which Mr. Rahman was identified, arrested, charged, and prosecuted is a testament to the commitment and professionalism of the investigators and prosecutors who brought him to justice. This case should serve as a stern warning to those who choose to place their own goals over their allegiance to our nation.”
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
