A former CIA software engineer, Joshua Schulte, has been handed a 40-year prison sentence for orchestrating the largest data breach in the agency's history. This 35-year-old faced charges ranging from espionage, computer hacking, and contempt of court to making false statements to the FBI and possessing child pornography.
In a Manhattan federal court, Schulte's crimes were detailed, exposing his betrayal of the country through one of the most audacious acts of espionage in American history. The breach involved leaking vast amounts of classified information to WikiLeaks, marking one of the largest unauthorized disclosures of such data in the U.S.
The leaked information, transmitted from Schulte's home computer in 2016, revealed the CIA's hacking of smartphones in overseas spying operations and their attempts to convert internet-connected televisions into listening devices. Despite wiping and reformatting his home computer's hard drives, Schulte's actions had profound consequences for national security.
His sentencing, following convictions in trials spanning 2020, 2022, and 2023, included charges related to possessing child pornography. The severity of Schulte's actions was underscored by FBI Assistant Director James Smith, who highlighted the disturbing threat posed by his criminal conduct.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams emphasized the enormity of Schulte's betrayal, both in terms of national security and his collection of disturbing child pornographic material. The former CIA employee's personal gratification led him to amass thousands of videos and images depicting children subjected to sickening abuse.
Schulte, incarcerated since 2018, claimed during his sentencing that the government sought vengeance rather than justice. In response, Judge Jesse M. Furman expressed astonishment at the lack of remorse and acceptance of responsibility displayed by the 35-year-old. He noted that Schulte's motives were rooted in anger, spite, and perceived grievances against the CIA, where he felt his complaints about the work environment were ignored.
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