High State Division worker accused of promoting protection secrets and techniques on-line

The U.S. Justice Division is charging a State Division worker after accusing them of sharing delicate info on-line.

Michael Charles Schena, 42, is dealing with prison expenses of conspiring to collect and transmit U.S. nationwide protection info to individuals not approved to obtain it. In line with the prison criticism, Schena is accused of leaking the delicate info in return for monetary fee.

Schena, who has labored at State Division headquarters in Washington, held a high secret safety clearance and is alleged to have shared it in trade for monetary achieve via “numerous communication platforms.”

Schena is but to enter a plea to the costs. He was arrested final month, after surveillance footage allegedly captured him photographing at the least 5 diplomatic paperwork marked secret at a State Division work station.

It’s not instantly clear what the paperwork have been or with whom they have been shared by Schena. They did comprise an bill, which is referenced within the prison criticism referred to “CNY,” which authorities mentioned they imagine to be a reference to China’s yuan.

Schena is alleged to have accepted funds in return for sharing info with individuals he met via “numerous communication platforms” starting in April 2022. In line with a prison criticism filed in U.S. District Courtroom for the Jap District of Virginia, his arrest was in February 2024.

In line with a press release from the Division of Justice for the Jap District of Virgina, “Schena allegedly acquired funds in return for info shared. On Feb. 27, Schena allegedly used a cellphone to take photos of a number of paperwork, which have been displayed on the monitor of his labeled pc and marked as “SECRET.” Schena then allegedly left work and returned to his dwelling in Alexandria, the place the cellphone was seized.”

Schena faces a penalty of as much as 10 years in jail if discovered responsible. A federal district courtroom decide will decide any sentence after contemplating the U.S. Sentencing Tips and different statutory elements.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Ben’Ary and Gavin R. Tisdale for the Jap District of Virginia and Trial Lawyer Maria Fedor of the Nationwide Safety Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Management Part are prosecuting the case.

The FBI Washington Area Workplace investigated the case with help from the FBI Richmond Area Workplace, the Division of Justice’s Workplace of Enforcement Operations, and the Division of State’s Diplomatic Safety Service Workplace of Counterintelligence.