FORMER U.S. GOVERNMENT CONTRACTOR ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY LEAKING CLASSIFIED MILITARY INFORMATION AND STEALING NIGHT VISION EQUIPMENT

FORT BRAGG, NORTH CAROLINA — A former U.S. government contractor with access to highly classified military information has been arrested on federal charges involving the unauthorized disclosure of national defense materials through social media, unlawful retention of classified information, and theft of night vision equipment belonging to the U.S. Army Special Operations Command.

James Thomas Ashbacher, 37, of Spring Lake, North Carolina, was arrested by the FBI on October 27, 2026, following the unsealing of a federal indictment charging him with unlawfully transmitting and retaining national defense information and stealing government property. The U.S. Department of Justice announced the arrest on October 30.

According to the indictment, Ashbacher began working around 2021 for a private company contracted to provide security and emergency management services at the U.S. Army Special Operations Command facility at Fort Bragg. His position required a Top Secret security clearance with Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) access, allowing him to handle certain classified materials under strict federal security requirements.

Federal prosecutors allege that Ashbacher photographed and removed videos and photographs containing classified images of military operations without authorization. He then transmitted the materials to a social media platform, where the information became accessible to other users. The classified content was later reposted on a second social media platform, extending its circulation beyond the original disclosures.

Investigators also identified private communications in which Ashbacher allegedly contacted another social media user and requested the removal of some of the materials. According to the indictment, he described his actions as “trying to do some damage control,” a statement federal prosecutors included as part of the evidence surrounding the unauthorized transmission.

A search of Ashbacher’s residence uncovered additional materials connected to the investigation. Authorities recovered a classified military award write-up containing national defense information, along with a night vision goggle system associated with a specific unit within Army Special Operations Command. The equipment had previously been reported missing, forming the basis of the separate government property theft allegation.

The charges involve two distinct categories of alleged misconduct: unauthorized handling and disclosure of national defense information, and theft of government property involving military equipment. Although Ashbacher’s employment provided access to classified environments, a security clearance does not authorize the removal, public distribution, or personal retention of protected government information outside approved procedures.

The case is being investigated by the FBI Charlotte Field Office, with substantial assistance from the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division. Trial Attorney Leslie Esbrook of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Logan Liles for the Eastern District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case.

The indictment raises serious questions about the protection of sensitive military information within contractor-supported environments, particularly when personnel with elevated security clearances have access to operational records and specialized equipment. The alleged circulation of classified material across multiple social media platforms also illustrates the difficulty of containing unauthorized disclosures once protected information has been distributed outside secure government systems.

Ashbacher has been indicted and arrested, not convicted. The allegations remain subject to federal court proceedings, and he is presumed innocent unless and until the government proves his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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