US Scholar Ashley Tellis Arrested for Allegedly Retaining Classified Information, Meeting Chinese Officials

Washington, D.C., October 12 — Ashley Tellis, a prominent American scholar of Indian origin and noted expert on South Asian affairs, has been arrested on charges of unlawfully retaining classified information and allegedly engaging with Chinese government officials.

The announcement was made by Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, who stated that the 64-year-old Tellis, a resident of Vienna, Virginia, has been charged under 18 U.S.C. § 793(e) for the unlawful retention of national defense information. According to reports from AFP, the U.S. State Department confirmed that Tellis was taken into custody on October 11, the same day he was scheduled to depart for Rome.

“We are fully committed to protecting the American people from all threats, foreign and domestic. The charges in this case represent a grave risk to national security,” Halligan said.

“The facts and the law in this case are clear, and we will continue to pursue justice to its fullest extent,” he added.

If convicted, Tellis faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and forfeiture of any related assets, as detailed in an official release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Actual sentences for federal crimes, however, are typically lower than the statutory maximum. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district judge in accordance with the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory considerations.

Allegations Against Tellis

According to a criminal affidavit cited by AFP, Tellis—who has served in various advisory roles for the U.S. government over the past two decades—allegedly retained more than 1,000 pages of top-secret or classified documents at his residence.

Investigators claim that on September 25, Tellis accessed the State Department, where he served as an unpaid advisor, and printed sections of a classified document related to U.S. Air Force operations.

The affidavit further alleges that Tellis held multiple meetings with Chinese officials at a restaurant in Fairfax, Virginia. On one such occasion, he reportedly entered with a manila envelope but was later seen leaving without it. The Chinese officials were also said to have presented Tellis with gift bags during two of these encounters.

Who Is Ashley Tellis?

Ashley J. Tellis, a U.S. citizen originally from India, is a Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where his research focuses on international security, defense strategy, and U.S. foreign policy in Asia, particularly the Indian subcontinent.

Tellis previously served as a Senior Adviser to the U.S. Ambassador in New Delhi and was part of the U.S. Foreign Service. He also held key roles under former President George W. Bush, playing an instrumental part in negotiating the U.S.–India Civil Nuclear Agreement, a landmark deal that significantly strengthened bilateral ties between the two democracies.

In recent years, however, Tellis has been regarded as a critical voice in Washington on U.S. policy toward India. In a recent essay published in Foreign Affairs, he argued that New Delhi often pursues policies at odds with Washington—particularly regarding its relations with Russia and Iran—and expressed skepticism that India would soon rival China’s strategic influence.