7 publishers · first seen Wed, 04 Nov 2026 07:48 UTC · updated Wed, 04 Nov 2026 15:39 UTC
A former U.S. government contractor, Abraham Teklu Lemma, has pleaded guilty to passing classified intelligence to Ethiopia, which officials used in military operations, according to the U.S. Justice Department. Lemma, who worked as an information technology contractor at the State Department, Justice Department, and National Reconnaissance Office, admitted to conspiring to transmit national defense information to a foreign government. He faces a prison term of between 10 years and 21 years and 10 months, subject to court acceptance. Lemma is due to be sentenced on April 14, 2027.
Lemma supplied secrets to senior Ethiopian officials for more than two years, urging them to deploy drones against fighters battling the government. The information reached Ethiopia's military and intelligence branches between 2021 and August 2023, when he was arrested. The U.S. Justice Department did not publicly reveal the specific operations or say whether anyone was killed as a result of the intelligence breach.
Content auto-generated. May contain inaccuracies.