A Department of Energy employee who works at the Hanford site was arrested Thursday morning and charged with attempting to provide material support to the Houthis, the Iran-backed group the U.S. government has designated a foreign terrorist organization, according to a Department of Justice news release.
Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, 51, of Richland, is scheduled to make his initial court appearance before a federal magistrate judge in Richland at 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 2, the DOJ said.
What prosecutors allege
Federal investigators say the case began after they received information that Ellaboudy had purchased precursor chemicals, components and other materials commonly used to build homemade explosives, along with drone parts, according to The Hill. Prosecutors allege he tried to help the Houthis improve their communications capabilities and that he traveled to Yemen, territory controlled by the group.
Fox 13 Seattle reports federal authorities say Ellaboudy used his official U.S. government passport to travel to Houthi-controlled Yemen and lied to border officials about being there on government business. Investigators also allege he later provided technical diagrams and testing assistance to someone he believed was a Houthi colonel — but who was actually an undercover FBI source.
A criminal complaint cited by Fox 13 says Ellaboudy took sick leave in December 2024, telling his employer he needed to recover from exposure to nitric acid, a chemical used in building explosive devices.
Ellaboudy worked for the Department of Energy in Richland and previously for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, according to Fox 13's reporting. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison, The Hill reported.
DOJ officials respond
"As alleged, a U.S. government employee traveled overseas and used his specialized expertise in an attempt to aid the Houthis, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization backed by Iran," Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said in the DOJ release.
In a statement to The Hill, Eisenberg said Ellaboudy "acquired materials for the construction of explosive material and drones capable of delivering these explosives," adding: "These allegations are so deeply disturbing that they almost defy imagination."
No threat to Hanford, officials say
Because Ellaboudy worked at Hanford, the region's largest employer and a former nuclear weapons production complex now undergoing one of the nation's largest environmental cleanups, the case is likely to raise questions among the thousands of people who work there and their families.
The Department of Energy and DOJ were explicit on that point: the release states this matter "did not involve an attempt to harm the Hanford Site or its workforce," and that at no time was there a threat to the safety of workers there.
The DOJ release does not say whether Ellaboudy has retained an attorney, and it's not yet known whether DOE or its site contractors have placed him on leave or ended his employment. Those details, along with the specifics of the full charging affidavit, may surface at Friday's initial appearance.
What's next
Ellaboudy is due in federal court in Richland at 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 2, where a magistrate judge will address the charge and any conditions of release or detention. Tri-Cities Today will follow the case as it moves through federal court and will report any statement from Hanford's managing contractor or details on Ellaboudy's legal representation as they become available.
