Zachry Wade Carroll was arrested Saturday in Comal County and was in court Monday after a federal indictment accused him of mishandling classified information and bringing firearms onto Joint Base San Antonio. The 47-year-old from San Antonio now faces charges that could send him to prison for up to 17 years if he is convicted.
Federal prosecutors charged Carroll with one count of losing national defense information, two counts of possession of a firearm in a federal facility and one count of making false statements. The indictment says he lost a classified document tied to national defense and did not tell his supervisor, then went on working in a secure facility at Joint Base San Antonio-Kelly Annex while carrying a loaded.380-caliber gun.
Federal officials also say Carroll lied when asked whether he was armed. They allege he had a loaded AR-15 rifle and a loaded 9mm pistol in his vehicle on the base, adding another layer to a case that centers on security inside a restricted military setting. The alleged conduct involves a U.S. Air Force contractor and raises questions about how classified material and firearms were handled in a place built for control, not improvisation.
The gap in the public record is still the key one: federal officials have not said how Carroll lost the classified document, only that he did and did not report it. That leaves the criminal case to answer what happened inside the secure facility and how the firearms were on base at the same time. For now, the next step is the federal court process after Carroll's first initial appearance on Monday.
