Ashley Tellis, a scholar and expert, is being probed in the US for alleged link with China.

An Indian-origin Ashley Tellis, a man who worked as a Pentagon contractor and State Department adviser, has been arrested. Ashley Tellis, an expert in South Asian affairs, allegedly accessed and removed documents related to Air Force tactics and techniques, court records reveal. An FBI affidavit published on Tuesday states that Tellis met numerous times with Chinese government officials over the past several years. In April 2023, Tellis attended a dinner with Chinese government officials in a Washington DC suburb and “could be occasionally overheard talking about Iranian-Chinese relations and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence,” the affidavit noted. According to the affidavit, Tellis serves as an unpaid adviser at the State Department and is a contractor with the Office of Net Assessment (ONA). ONA is the Pentagon’s in-house think tank for anticipating security threats, which the Defence Department announced in March would be dismantled and “restructured.”Tellis reportedly met multiple times with Chinese government officials at a restaurant in the Washington suburb of Fairfax, Virginia. According to the FBI affidavit, cited by AFP, at one dinner he arrived carrying a manila envelope, which he did not appear to take back with him. On two other occasions, the Chinese officials reportedly presented him with gift bags.Also Read: Who is Ashley Tellis?

What are the charges?

Lindsey Halligan, US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, announced that Tellis was charged by criminal complaint with the unlawful retention of national defense information, in violation of 18 USC § 793(e).“We are fully focused on protecting the American people from all threats, foreign and domestic. The charges as alleged in this case represent a grave risk to the safety and security of our citizens,” said US Attorney Halligan. “The facts and the law in this case are clear, and we will continue following them to ensure that justice is served.”If convicted, Tellis is subject to a maximum of ten years’ imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, a $100 special assessment and forfeiture. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.