HUNTSVILLE — A civilian Department of Defense employee from Huntsville made her initial court appearance Tuesday to face charges of unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Ewa Maria Ciszak, 64, was charged with knowingly removing and retaining classified documents and materials. She had been employed at the Missile Defense Agency since January 2023. As part of her duties, she held a security clearance and had access to classified materials related to the national defense of the United States, the Justice Department news release said.

According to court documents unsealed Tuesday in the Northern District of Alabama, from around February through last week, Ciszak allegedly removed classified documents from MDA facilities without authorization and transported them to her personal residence and vehicle, which were not authorized for classified material storage.

Last Wednesday, “federal agents executed a search of Ciszak’s home, person, and vehicle,” the news release said. “Agents recovered multiple documents bearing classification markings up to the ‘Secret’ level.

“Some of the documents had been placed in her personal backpack that day and transported directly from MDA to her home.”

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg, U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama, and Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division made the announcement.

The FBI’s Birmingham Field Office and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations are investigating the case. Assistance was provided by the FBI Atlanta Field Office’s Savannah Resident Agency and the Missile Defense Agency.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Henry Cornelius for the Northern District of Alabama and Trial Attorneys Chantelle Dial and Adam Barry of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.