Grand jury proceedings for a missile defense employee accused of unlawfully stealing secret data from a secure office have been paused for two months by a federal judge.
Following a search of her Huntsville home and a months-long investigation by federal officials, Ewa Maria Ciszak was taken into custody in late June. Her lawyer and federal prosecutors filed a joint request last week asking Federal Magistrate Judge John H. England to extend the time until a grand jury is called in her case by another sixty days.
The court records state that the delay will give lawyers time to think about a potential plea deal.
Robert Tuten, Ciszak’s Huntsville lawyer, characterized federal case materials as “secret, sealed, and voluminous.” In response, Ciszak gave up her right to a quick trial due to the intricacy of the case.
The FBI filed a federal complaint alleging that between February and June, Ciszak intentionally took classified papers or materials out of her workplace with the intention of storing them in an unapproved location. After posting a $25,000 bond, she was freed from custody in Savannah, Georgia, according to AL.com.
According to court records filed last week, Ciszak works for a missile defense contractor that supports NASA, despite her initial identification as a civilian Defense Department employee at the Missile Defense Agency.
The judge’s new ruling states that grand jury proceedings must begin by September 18 at the latest.
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