A US District Judge sentenced Joshua Schulte, a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) software engineer, to 40 years in prison on Thursday, February 1, 2024. The sentence stems from allegations of Schulte carrying out the largest theft of classified information in the agency’s history.
Also, the court found him guilty of charges related to child abuse imagery. Before the sentence, the Department of Justice (DOJ) charged Schulte with espionage, computer hacking, and contempt of court. Also, the DOJ convicted him of making false statements to the FBI and child pornography.
Although prosecutors sought a life sentence, the judge did not impose it. However, they agreed the 40-year sentence by the US district judge Jesse Furman fits the crime. Following the judge’s ruling, US Attorney Damian Williams condemned Schulte for his crimes.
“Joshua Schulte betrayed his country by committing some of the most brazen, heinous crimes of espionage in history,” he said. “He caused untold damage to our national security in his quest for revenge against the CIA for its response to Schulte’s security breaches while employed there.”
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Schulte, who worked as a computer engineer within the CIA’s Center for Cyber Intelligence, was convicted in July 2022. The agency accused him of handing over classified data to whistleblowing agency WikiLeaks in the so-called Vault 7 leak.
Hence, the FBI convicted him on four counts, each of espionage and computer hacking. Also, they convicted him on one count of lying to federal agents. A judge upheld the conviction as WikiLeaks published the materials which revealed top-secret information.
The leak revealed how the CIA surveilled foreign governments, alleged extremists, and others by compromising their electronics and computer networks. Furthermore, it showed how the agency hacked Apple and Android smartphones in overseas spy operations.
Also, the leak revealed the CIA’s efforts to turn internet-connected televisions into listening devices. Therefore, prosecutors characterized Schulte’s actions as “the largest data breach in the history of the CIA.” Also, they condemned the unauthorized disclosure of information.
The prosecutors claimed his transmission of that stolen information to WikiLeaks is one of the “largest unauthorized disclosures of classified information” in US history. In addition, they alleged that the former CIA agent received thousands of images and videos of child sexual abuse.
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Prosecutors claimed they found the material in an encrypted container in Schulte’s New York apartment during the CIA leaks investigation. Due to Schulte’s actions, the US intelligence agencies faced serious embarrassment in 2017 after WikiLeaks published the leaked documents.
Schulte, who represented himself in court, said anyone could have perpetrated the breach. However, prosecutors insisted that Schulte had the motive to orchestrate the leak. Prosecutors claimed he did it because the agency disrespected him by ignoring his complaints about the work environment.
Also, the DOJ said the CIA transferred Schulte to another branch after “personnel disputes” with another developer. There, the agency said Schulte abused administrator privileges by granting himself access to a project he shouldn’t have access to.
Afterward, “he stole files, committing the CIA’s largest data breach in history,” the DOJ said. Williams also revealed in his statement that Schulte tried to cause more harm after the FBI caught him. The attorney said Schulte tried to wage an “information war by publishing secret information from behind bars.”
In addition, Williams noted that Schulte collected several videos and images of child pornography for his “gratification.”
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