WASHINGTON, D.C. - Assistant Attorney General Christopher A. Wray of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Roscoe C. Howard of the District of Columbia announced today that Narissa Smalls, a legal technician in FBI Headquarters, was sentenced to 12 months in prison today on charges stemming from her unlawful access of the FBI’s Automated Case Support (ACS) computer system.

Smalls, sentenced this afternoon by U.S. District Court Judge Gladys Kessler of the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty to the felony charges in December 2003 and resigned from the FBI as part of her plea agreement.

Smalls was assigned to the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act Unit in FBI Headquarters, and her duties included searching ACS for information in response to FOIA requests and for other administrative purposes. Smalls admitted that between September 2002 and November 2002, she conducted several searches in ACS for information regarding individuals who were subjects of ongoing drug investigations in the FBI’s Washington Field Office. In one instance, she printed out the information and took it to her residence. Smalls admitted she then shared the results of her ACS searches with individuals who were associated with the subjects of the FBI’s drug investigations.

The case was investigated by the Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, and the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Acting Deputy Chief Raymond Hulser and Trial Attorney Sabrina Houlton of the Public Integrity Section of the United States Department of Justice, headed by Section Chief Noel Hillman, with assistance from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

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