A US State Department employee, Michael Charles Schena, 42, faces criminal charges for allegedly sharing sensitive government information with unauthorized individuals he met online.
According to the Justice Department, Schena conspired to gather and transmit US national defense information without proper clearance.
Schena, a South Caribbean desk officer, held a top-secret security clearance, granting him access to information up to the secret level.
However, he allegedly accepted payments in exchange for sharing sensitive information through various communication platforms starting in April 2022.
Surveillance footage captured Schena photographing at least five diplomatic documents marked “secret” at a State Department workstation last month.
He was arrested outside his Virginia home on the same day.
The content of the documents and the individuals with whom they were shared remain unclear.
Schena has not entered a plea, and his lawyer has declined to comment.
The State Department has also not provided an immediate response.