A US court sentenced former CIA programmer Joshua Schulte, who handed over classified data in 2016. WikiLeaks projectto 40 years in prison, reports the US Department of Justice.
Schulte was found guilty of espionage, hacking, contempt of court, perjury, and possession of child pornography. According to the US Treasury, he committed one of the largest data thefts in the history of the CIA.
From 2012 to 2016, Schulte was a software developer at the CIA’s Cyber Intelligence Center. According to authorities, using official access to departmental systems, he stole information related to national security and transferred it to WikiLeaks. In 2017, WikiLeaks began publishing this information, the project was called Vault 7. Among the leaked files were data on the global hacking program various American and European-made devices and systems, such as Apple’s iPhone smartphones, Google’s Android and Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, and Samsung TVs, which were capable of turning into recording devices. From March to November 2017, WikiLeaks published classified information 26 times.
In March 2017, Schulte was searched and thousands of videos and photos of child pornography were found on his home computer and other devices.
rtvi.com, 06/19/2018, “Former CIA programmer charged in case of transferring classified data to WikiLeaks”: In total, Schulte has been charged with 13 counts. Before that, he was also accused of “receiving, possessing and transporting” child pornography” and unlawful sexual activity with his former classmate while she was unconscious. — Insert K.ru
According to the Ministry of Justice, in 2018, while already under arrest, Schulte continued to wage an “information war” against the US authorities: in prison he used the phone and transmitted classified information.
According to prosecutor Damian Williams, the defendant committed “one of the most cynical and heinous spy crimes in US history” and damaged the country’s national security “while seeking revenge on the CIA.” Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen said Schulte endangered the lives of other department employees. Authorities believe the leak “crippled the CIA’s ability to gather intelligence on U.S. adversaries.”
“BBC Russian Service”, 02.02.2024, “Former CIA hacker who transferred secrets to the WikiLeaks project received 40 years in prison”: After resigning, he sent these materials – 8,761 files – to the WikiLeaks project, which began publishing them in March 2017, calling this section on its website “Vault 7.” The files leaked by Schulte contained viruses, Trojans, and other hacker programs with which the CIA hacked, for example, the mobile phones of terrorists or foreign politicians and turned them into listening devices. […]
Schulte denied guilt, but the court was not convinced. According to investigators, Schulte was forced to resign because he constantly missed deadlines for completing assignments, and after his dismissal he gave stolen materials to WikiLeaks, wanting to take revenge on his former employers. — Insert K.ru
Prosecutors asked to give Schulte a life sentence, and the defense asked for nine years in prison. NBC reports. According to his lawyers, the ex-CIA officer is “an intelligent, kind young man” and was “subjected to constant torture” during his time in prison.
Izvestia.Ru, 02.02.2024, “Ex-CIA employee sentenced to 40 years in prison for leaking data to WikiLeaks”: On June 17 it became known that the head of the British Ministry of Internal Affairs Priti Patel decided to extradite the founder of WikiLeaks to the United States Julian Assange, where he faces 175 years in prison. At the same time, lawyer Maria Yarmush admitted that the decision of the UK Ministry of Internal Affairs could lead to a change in the sentence to the death penalty.
The 51-year-old Australian is currently in custody in the UK. Washington charged him with 18 counts, including violating the Espionage Act and disclosing classified information. Assange’s defense has appealed the decision to extradite him to the United States to the UK Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). — Insert K.ru