Federal agents arrested a former government contractor at Fort Bragg last week for allegedly posting videos of classified military operations to social media and stealing a pair of night vision goggles.
Authorities charged 37-year-old James Thomas Ashbacher with unlawfully transmitting and retaining national defense information and theft of government property.
According to the indictment, Ashbacher worked for a private security company at Army Special Operations Command, a position that afforded him a Top Secret security clearance.
The government did not name the company but said Ashbacher had worked there for several years.
The indictment alleges Ashbacher collected classified materials between 2021 and March 2024 before posting some of them to two social media websites.
The government did not identify the websites but listed 10 videos that it said revealed “unit-specific and sensitive tactics, techniques and procedures and call signs,” along with other sensitive operational information.
Authorities also allege Ashbacher took a classified document on Alternative Compensatory Control Measures Programs, which detail security protocols federal agencies and contractors use to protect classified information.
Authorities argue Ashbacher knew sharing the information with unauthorized users was against federal law, pointing to his subsequent attempts to have the material removed from the websites.
According to the indictment, Ashbacher sent a private message to another user asking them to remove references to certain information from a post and to “take ’em down, tuck them away, and repost them in a year or two when my contract ends lol.”
“Just trying to save my ass …. It is what it is ….” Ashbacher allegedly wrote, adding that he knew “a bunch of dudes probs saved everything but trying to do some damage control lol. If not, it’s all good bro, I understand. It was fun while it lasted.”
On April 30, 2025, federal agents executed a search warrant at Ashbacher’s home and recovered night vision goggles that had been reported missing. Authorities allege he stole the equipment sometime between January 2024 and April 2025.
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