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A former CIA analyst from Vienna pleaded guilty Jan. 17 to retaining and transmitting Top Secret national defense information that later appeared publicly on social media.
Asif William Rahman, 34, had worked for the CIA since 2016 and held a Top Secret security clearance granting him access to Sensitive Compartmented Information.
On Oct. 17, 2024, Rahman accessed and printed two Top Secret documents concerning a U.S. ally and its planned actions against a foreign adversary. He removed the documents, photographed them and sent the images to people he knew were not authorized to receive them.
By Oct. 18, the documents had surfaced on multiple social media platforms with their classification markings visible.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said Rahman’s actions put lives at risk, damaged U.S. foreign relations and compromised future intelligence collection. FBI Washington Field Office Assistant Director David Sundberg said the case demonstrated that authorities would pursue clearance holders who disclose classified material without authorization, regardless of their location.
After the disclosure, Rahman edited and deleted journal entries and other material on his personal electronic devices to hide his views on U.S. policy. He also drafted entries intended to create a false account of his conduct.
Rahman destroyed several electronic devices, including a personal mobile device and the internet router used to transmit classified information and photographs. He then discarded the damaged equipment in public trash receptacles in an effort to impede an investigation.
The October disclosure was part of a broader pattern that began in spring 2024 and continued through November. During that period, Rahman repeatedly accessed and printed national defense documents classified as high as Top Secret and took them home.
He reproduced some documents at his residence and altered them in an attempt to conceal their origins and his actions. He also shared Top Secret information acquired through his CIA employment with multiple unauthorized individuals.
A grand jury indicted Rahman on Nov. 7, 2024. The FBI arrested him as he arrived at work on Nov. 12, and he has remained in custody since then.
Rahman pleaded guilty to two counts of willfully retaining and transmitting classified national defense information. His sentencing is scheduled for May 25.
Under the plea agreement, he faces up to 10 years in prison on both counts. A federal district judge will determine the sentence after considering federal guidelines and other statutory factors.