Former Federal Prosecutor Indicted for Allegedly Stealing Classified DOJ Records

A former federal prosecutor from Florida has been indicted for reportedly stealing and hiding sealed records from the Department of Justice (DOJ), which include sensitive details from an investigation into former President Donald Trump.

Carmen Mercedes Lineberger, age 62, served as the Managing Assistant United States Attorney for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Fort Pierce, Florida. An indictment was recently unsealed in federal court naming her.

Lineberger appeared for her arraignment in West Palm Beach, where she pleaded not guilty to multiple federal charges related to the unauthorized electronic transmission of classified government documents.

Prosecutors allege that she used her official capacity in late 2025 to access and download restricted documents, with plans to smuggle them out of the agency.

The central document involved in the indictment is an unreleased volume of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s final report, which examines the alleged mishandling of national defense records at Mar-a-Lago. While some findings were disclosed, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon had issued a court order sealing “Volume II,” which is specifically about the classified files, forbidding its distribution beyond the DOJ.

The indictment claims that Lineberger downloaded this sealed report last December, fully aware that her actions violated a court order and could jeopardize the integrity of the judicial process.

To avoid detection from internal security measures, she purportedly engaged in a series of deceptive practices. Investigators report that she renamed the sensitive Special Counsel report to “Bundt_Cake_Recipe.pdf” on her government computer before sending it to her personal email.

Furthermore, in an earlier incident, Lineberger gathered internal DOJ communications, alongside an official memo with restricted markings, and disguised it as “chocolate_cake_recipe.pdf,” successfully transmitting it to her personal account in a similar manner.

The indictment doesn’t clarify her motives or what she planned to do with these documents after moving them to her personal custody.

Given Lineberger’s high-profile position within the Southern District of Florida—where the Mar-a-Lago case was processed—Assistant U.S. Attorney Christie S. Utt from the Northern District of Florida is managing the case as a special prosecutor to prevent any conflicts of interest.

The investigation is being carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in conjunction with the DOJ’s Office of the Inspector General.

If found guilty on all charges, Lineberger could face harsh penalties under federal sentencing laws. The most severe charge, involving the destruction or alteration of federal investigation records, carries a potential maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

Additionally, she could receive up to three years for the concealment or removal of public records, and up to a year for each instance of theft of government property. As of now, her defense team has not provided any formal public remarks regarding the situation.