A Hedgesville, West Virginia woman is facing up to ten years in jail and a fine of up to $250,000 for national security violations, including illegally being in possession of National Defense Information.
Elizabeth Jo Shirley has confessed to being in possession of a National Security Agency document having to do with our National Defense, that contained TOP SECRET/SENSITIVE COMPARTMENTED INFORMATION (TS/SCI), and which outlines intelligence information regarding a foreign government's military and political issues.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security, John C. Demers said that When Shirley took classified information from her work in the Intelligence Community and then fled to Mexico, "...she violated the confidence placed in her by the American People..."
According to Department of Justice Officials,
"...In July 2019, Shirley took her six-year-old daughter to Mexico with the intent to make contact with representatives of the Government of Russia to request resettlement in a country that would not extradite her to the United States. Shirley took with her to Mexico national defense information, which she had unlawfully retained. While in Mexico, Shirley prepared a written message to Russian Government officials, referencing “an urgent need” to have “items shipped from the USA related to [her] life’s work before they are seized and destroyed...”The DOJ says that on August 13, 2019,
"...the United States Marshals Service and Mexican law enforcement located Shirley and her daughter at a hotel in Mexico City. Mexican authorities arrested Shirley pursuant to an arrest warrant the West Virginia State Police (WVSP) had obtained on a charge of concealment of a minor from a custodian..."Shirley is also facing penalties, regarding charges she has admitted to, and related to "...removing her child, of whom she was the non-custodial parent, to Mexico with the intent to obstruct the lawful exercise of the custodial father’s parental rights..."
"...The FBI subsequently executed search warrants on numerous of Shirley’s electronic devices, including devices she took to Mexico in July 2019 and devices the FBI seized from her Martinsburg storage unit in August 2019. Pursuant to the search of the storage unit, the FBI located the NSA document underlying the Willful Retention of National Defense Information offense. In addition, pursuant to searches of the electronic devices, the FBI found an Office of Naval Intelligence PowerPoint presentation containing information classified at the SECRET level and messages Shirley had drafted to Russian Government officials while in Mexico, the latter of which the Central Intelligence Agency has determined to include information classified at the SECRET level..."DOJ Background information on Elizabeth Jo Shirley includes the following:
"...Shirley served on active duty with the United States Air Force, and in August 1994, the Air Force granted Shirley her first TS/SCI security clearance. After leaving active duty, Shirley served in the United States Air Force Reserves and later in the United States Navy Reserves. While serving in the Air Force, she worked on assignments with the NSA. From May 2001 to August 2012, Shirley held various positions with the United States Navy’s Office of Naval Intelligence, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force, and at least five different cleared defense contractors. In connection with these positions, Shirley held TOP SECRET/SCI security clearances at various times..."
information source /: U.S. Department of Justice
