Ethiopia: Ethiopian-American Pleads Guilty to Spying for Ethiopia, Faces Up to 22 Years in U.S. Prison

What the report says

Abraham Teklu Lemma, a naturalized U.S. citizen of Ethiopian descent and former government IT contractor, has pleaded guilty in Washington, D.C., to conspiring to pass highly classified U.S. national defense information to Ethiopian officials. According to reporting carried by Addis Standard and distributed by AllAfrica, Lemma admitted to the conduct in early November and now faces a potential sentence of nearly 22 years in prison, with formal sentencing set for April 2027 if the plea is accepted by the court.

U.S. prosecutors said the alleged scheme ran from 2021 until his arrest in August 2023. They said Lemma used his access at several federal agencies, including the State Department, Justice Department and National Reconnaissance Office, to remove and copy sensitive material. The information reportedly included documents, notes, photos, maps and satellite imagery, much of it tied to Ethiopia’s armed conflict and classified at the TS/SCI level.

The Justice Department said the materials were sent to Ethiopian officials in political, military and intelligence roles, allegedly through encrypted apps and other covert methods. Prosecutors argued the information could have helped Ethiopian forces target fighters connected to the conflict. The case is part of a broader U.S. national security prosecution and comes against the backdrop of Ethiopia’s recent wars and ongoing instability, though that wider context is based on background reporting rather than the plea itself.