Washington, Oct 15 (NationPress) The State Department has confirmed to IANS that Ashley Tellis, a long-standing adviser to the US government and specialist in India and South Asia, was taken into custody on October 11.

“We can confirm that State Department consultant Ashley Tellis was arrested on October 11, 2025. As this is an ongoing investigation, we cannot comment further on the case,” a State Department official informed IANS.

Lindsey Halligan, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, also released a statement, noting that Tellis was “arrested over the weekend and charged by criminal complaint with the unlawful retention of national defense information.”

“We are fully focused on protecting the American people from all threats, foreign and domestic. The charges as alleged in this case represent a grave risk to the safety and security of our citizens,” stated US Attorney Halligan.

“The facts and the law in this case are clear, and we will continue to pursue them to ensure that justice is served,” he added.

If found guilty, Tellis could face a maximum of ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

A federal affidavit submitted on October 13 in the Eastern District of Virginia accused Tellis of removing classified documents from secure facilities and storing them at his residence in Vienna, Virginia.

The 10-page affidavit details a series of surveillance observations and evidence pointing to Tellis's alleged misconduct, including the unauthorized removal of classified materials.

According to court documents, on September 12, 2025, video surveillance captured Tellis at the Department of Defense (DoD)'s Mark Center in Alexandria, where he had a co-worker print multiple classified documents, including one marked as “TOP SECRET”.

On September 25, 2025, Tellis accessed a classified State Department computer system in Washington, DC, and opened a 1,288-page US Air Force document marked “secret.” Allegedly, he renamed the file “Econ Reform” to obscure its contents, printed hundreds of pages, and subsequently deleted the file. The court documents indicate he also printed two other 40-page Air Force documents concerning military aircraft, both classified as “Secret.”

The FBI alleged that on October 10, Tellis was seen concealing these documents – believed to include top-secret material – inside notepads and placing them in his leather briefcase before exiting the facility and driving home.

The affidavit further noted that Tellis had multiple meetings over the years with Chinese officials. In one meeting in 2022, he arrived with a manila envelope and departed without it after two hours. Subsequent meetings included discussions on topics such as Iran-China relations, artificial intelligence, and US-Pakistan ties. During their most recent meeting on September 2, 2025, Chinese officials reportedly presented Tellis with a red gift bag, according to the affidavit.

The documents reveal that Tellis currently serves as “an unpaid Senior Advisor at the Department of State. Additionally, he is a contractor in the Office of Net Assessment (ONA) within the Department of Defense (DoD). In this role, Tellis is regarded as a subject matter expert on India and South Asian affairs. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Tellis has previously acted as a senior advisor to the US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs and was involved in negotiating the civil nuclear agreement with India.