Veteran South Asia expert and former US-India policy negotiator charged with unlawful retention of national defense information
The US State Department has confirmed that Ashley Tellis, a long-time government adviser and one of Washington’s most respected experts on India and South Asia, was arrested on October 11, 2025. The department described the matter as an ongoing investigation, declining to offer further comment, reported gujaratsamachar.com.
Tellis accused of unlawfully retaining classified defense documents at his Virginia home.
In a statement, US Attorney Lindsey Halligan for the Eastern District of Virginia said Tellis was “arrested over the weekend and charged by criminal complaint with the unlawful retention of national defense information.”
“We are fully focused on protecting the American people from all threats, foreign and domestic,” Halligan said.
“The charges as alleged in this case represent a grave risk to the safety and security of our citizens.”
If convicted, Tellis faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, according to officials.
A federal affidavit filed on October 13 in the Eastern District of Virginia alleges that Tellis removed classified documents from secure facilities and stored them at his home in Vienna, Virginia. The 10-page affidavit outlines surveillance footage and evidence showing that he took “Top Secret” and “Secret” materials from Department of Defense (DoD) and State Department systems.
Federal affidavit links Tellis to classified data removal and meetings with Chinese officials
According to court documents, on September 12, 2025, Tellis was recorded at the DoD’s Mark Center in Alexandria, where he asked a co-worker to print several classified files — including a “Top Secret” document. Later, on September 25, he accessed a classified State Department system, opened a 1,288-page Air Force document marked “Secret”, renamed it “Econ Reform,” printed it, and deleted the original file.
Investigators allege that on October 10, Tellis hid the printed documents inside notepads, placed them in his leather briefcase, and took them home.
The affidavit further claims that Tellis had multiple meetings with Chinese officials over the years. In one 2022 meeting, he was seen arriving with a manila envelope and leaving without it two hours later. More recent meetings reportedly included discussions on Iran-China relations, artificial intelligence, and US-Pakistan ties. On September 2, 2025, Chinese officials allegedly presented Tellis with a red gift bag.
Tellis currently serves as an unpaid Senior Advisor at the US State Department and a contractor in the Office of Net Assessment (ONA) within the Department of Defense, specializing in India and South Asia. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
A key figure in US-India relations, Tellis previously served as a senior adviser to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs and was involved in negotiating the landmark US-India Civil Nuclear Agreement.
