A civilian employee of the Department of Defense in Huntsville is facing some serious heat. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, she made her first court appearance Tuesday on charges of unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents. Whoops! Ewa Maria Ciszak, 64, is accused of knowingly nabbing classified documents and materials. She's been with the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) since January 2023 and, as part of her gig, had a security clearance and access to sensitive materials related to national defense. Big responsibility! Court documents allege that, from around February until recently, Ciszak was allegedly removing classified docs from MDA facilities without permission. The documents were then transported to her home and car, neither of which are approved for storing such sensitive stuff. Not good. Last Wednesday, federal agents searched Ciszak's home, person, and vehicle, according to the news release. They found multiple documents marked with classification levels up to "Secret." Ouch! Apparently, some of these documents were even packed in her personal backpack and taken straight from the MDA to her house that very day. Double ouch! Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg, U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, and FBI Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky dropped the news. The FBI and Air Force Office of Special Investigations are digging into the case, with help from other FBI offices and the MDA. Looks like the legal team is ready to bring the heat in the courtroom!Huntsville DOD Employee in Hot Water!
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