Prosecutor investigating technology leaks to Russia found dead in US

Jessica Aber, former US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, was found dead at the age of 43. During her career, she handled several high-profile cases, including investigations into CIA information leaks and major fraud linked to Russia. Her death has left a mark on the US legal and law enforcement community.

Jessica Aber's career and key achievements

Jessica Aber was appointed US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia in August 2021. Her nomination was unanimously confirmed by the Senate. In this capacity, she played a key role in investigations related to national security and established herself as a decisive and experienced lawyer.

She left her post in January 2025, as Donald Trump's second presidential term began, completing three years in the role.

The CIA information leak case: Aber's biggest victory

One of the most prominent victories in Aber's career was linked to the case of Asif Rahman, a 34-year-old former CIA analyst. He pleaded guilty to leaking top-secret documents containing information about an Israeli military operation against Iran. Rahman published these documents on Telegram, causing an international scandal and endangering people's safety.

Commenting on the case, Aber stated that Rahman's actions violated his oath and the law, as his information leak endangered lives and undermined US relations with other states. Furthermore, she emphasised that such a leak could affect the US ability to gather intelligence in the future.

Investigation into the Eleview International Inc. case

In addition, Jessica Aber led the case against Eleview International Inc., a Virginia-based company. As part of the investigation, two senior executives of the company were charged with organising schemes to illegally supply US technologies to Russia, circumventing US sanctions.

Oleg Nayandin and Vitaly Borisenko were charged with the illegal delivery of goods, including telecommunications equipment, to Russia worth over $6 million via Turkey, Finland, and Kazakhstan. This case became an important step in the fight against illegal technology supplies to Russia, as well as in countering the circumvention of international sanctions.

Anti-money laundering: another high-profile case

In addition, Aber led an investigation against Russian citizens Sergey Ivanov and Timur Shakhmametov. They were charged with organising one of the largest internet frauds, linked to money laundering and cybercrime. 

According to the US Department of Justice, the defendants organised an operation serving cybercrime markets and hackers responsible for data leaks targeting US financial infrastructure.