Indian-American foreign policy expert Ashley Tellis arrested for retaining national defence information

Ashley J Tellis, a prominent Indian-American strategic affairs expert, has been arrested on charges of unlawfully retaining national defence information.

A respected voice in Washington's foreign policy establishment, Tellis is currently a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, specialising in international security, defence, and Asian strategic issues.

"Tellis, 64, of Vienna, VA, was arrested over the weekend in Vienna, Virginia, and charged by criminal complaint with the unlawful retention of national defence information," the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia said in a statement on Tuesday.

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

If convicted, Tellis faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to USD 250,000, a USD 100 special assessment and forfeiture, the statement said.

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

A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors, the statement said.

Born in Mumbai and educated at the University of Chicago, Tellis has been a prolific writer and adviser on defence and Asia policy. He was closely involved in shaping the landmark India-US civil nuclear agreement during the George W Bush administration that transformed bilateral ties in the mid-2000s.