Ashley Tellis, an Indian-origin foreign policy expert on US and South Asian affairs, was arrested over the weekend after more than a thousand pages of US top secret documents were allegedly found at his home.
He has been charged with the unlawful retention of national defence information, the US Justice Department said on Tuesday.
Mr Tellis, 64, grew up in Mumbai city before moving to the US to study. He has worked closely with the US government for years and is a senior adviser in the State Department.
He has not commented on the charges. His lawyer Deborah Curtis told Associated Press that "we look forward to the hearing, where we'll be able to present evidence".
"The charges as alleged in this case represent a grave risk to the safety and security of our citizens," the DoJ statement quoted Lindsey Halligan, US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, as saying.
