(MENAFN) A well-known expert on India and adviser to the US State Department has been charged with unlawfully retaining more than a thousand pages of classified defense materials, authorities announced on Tuesday.

Ashley J. Tellis, a senior fellow and Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs at a major Washington-based policy institute, was taken into custody following a federal probe into the alleged mishandling of sensitive government documents, according to officials.

Prosecutors accused Tellis of violating laws that prohibit the unauthorized possession or storage of defense-related information. “The charges as alleged in this case represent a grave risk to the safety and security of our citizens,” said US Attorney Lindsey Halligan.

Investigators are reportedly looking into allegations that Tellis removed restricted documents from secure facilities and maintained contact with Chinese officials as part of their ongoing inquiry.

If convicted, he could face a sentence of up to ten years in prison and a fine reaching $250,000, according to the Justice Department.

Officials stated that Tellis, who is of Indian origin, served as an unpaid senior adviser to the State Department and held a contractor role with a strategic defense office within the Pentagon. Records show he began his work with the department in 2001.

During a search of his Vermont home, investigators allegedly recovered more than a thousand pages of material labeled “TOP SECRET” and “SECRET,” according to court documents cited in reports.

Prosecutors further claim that on September 25, Tellis printed US Air Force files containing details on aircraft capabilities and that over the past several years, he held multiple meetings with representatives of the Chinese government.

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