The connection of the contractor to Ethiopia, a country that is a significant recipient of aid from the United States, is unusual. A contractor who has worked for the State and Justice Departments has been arrested and charged with spying for Ethiopia, according to several U.S. officials with knowledge of the situation.
The man, Abraham T. Lemma, 50, of Silver Spring, Md., faces two counts under the Espionage Act and was taken into custody last month. Not much was known about the case, which remains sealed in Federal District Court in Washington and could be made public as early as this week.
Efforts to reach Mr. Lemma’s lawyer and family were unsuccessful. The Justice Department declined to comment. Mr. Lemma’s LinkedIn profile describes him as a part-time systems analyst for the State Department who has worked at the department’s Diplomatic Security Service since 2019.
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