Before she passed away, former US attorney Jessica Aber looked into Russia and CIA leaks.

Before she resigned at the beginning of the year, Jessica Aber, the former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, led high-profile investigations into intelligence leaks, claims of war crimes against individuals with ties to Russia, and those suspected of supplying Moscow with sensitive U.S. technology. Aber was discovered dead on Saturday at the age of 43 by Virginia authorities. The Significance of It.

Former President Joe Biden's appointment Aber resigned in January following the inauguration of President Donald Trump. She had become the head of one of the most significant federal prosecutor's offices, overseeing over 300 prosecutors, civil litigators, and support staff who were frequently assigned cases involving terrorism and national security.

Officers were called to the scene of an unresponsive woman at Beverley Drive, north of downtown and south of Arlington, just after 9 a.m. local time on Saturday, according to the Alexandria Police Department.

Things You Should Know

Before the material surfaced on social media in October 2024, former CIA analyst Asif Rahman entered a guilty plea in mid-January for keeping and sharing top-secret national security information with individuals who were not authorized to receive it.

Rahman's actions "put lives at danger, harmed U.S. foreign relations, and risked our capacity to collect important intelligence in the future," according to Aber's statement at the time. Rahman had "disclosed top secret American documents in violation of his oath, his obligation, and the law."

Along with the State and Treasury Departments and law enforcement, the Justice Department announced in late September that it had unsealed an indictment accusing a Russian national, Sergey Ivanov, of participating in "multiple money laundering services that catered to cybercriminals, as well as the seizure of websites associated with three illicit cryptocurrency exchanges."

In the same indictment, Timur Shakhmametov, another Russian national, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud, one count of conspiracy to engage money laundering, and conspiracy to commit and assist and abet bank fraud.

Aber said in a statement at the time, "Every action cybercriminals take in their quest for money leaves another track that takes us to their house." And they will lead us to you if you follow them along their avaricious road. Even though domains can always be taken, justice is uncompromising, so we will not give up."

Two senior executives and a Virginia-based business were charged in November 2024 with operating "three different schemes to illegally transship sensitive American technology to Russia," including supplying equipment to a Russian telecommunications company connected to Russia's infamous FSB security agency and the Kremlin.

Aber stated, "We cannot permit the transfer of vital systems and technologies to any anyone who would utilize them against the United States and its international allies." "It is essential to guard against these transfers, and those who violate the laws safeguarding our national security will face harsh punishment."

Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Aber was also a part of an indictment against four Russia-affiliated persons in late 2023, who were accused of torturing, inhumanly treating, and unlawfully detaining a U.S. national in Ukraine.

Along with two people who were only known by their first names, Valerii and Nazar, the defendants were identified as Suren Seiranovich Mkrtchyan and Dmitry Budnik. Aber stated, "We will keep pursuing those responsible for war crimes violations in Ukraine and are honored to be leading the Justice Department's effort to hold them accountable."

What Individuals Are Saying?

"The death of Jessica Aber, former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, is extremely unfortunate," said Attorney General Pam Bondi in a statement. During this extremely trying time, our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends.

"We are devastated beyond words to hear of the demise of our friend and former colleague, U.S. Attorney Jessica Aber," stated Erik Siebert, the current U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. She is just irreplaceable as a human being and was unparalleled as a prosecutor, mentor, and leader. We are still amazed at how much she managed to do in her far too short life.

What Follows?

Aber's dying circumstances are being investigated, and no preliminary cause of death has been determined.