Sep 4: Michael Charles Schena, a 
Department of State employee, was sentenced to 48 months in prison for conspiring to collect and transmit national defense information to individuals he believed to be working for the 
government.
Beginning in April 2022, Michael Charles Schena communicated with people he met online through various communication platforms and provided them sensitive US government information, in exchange for money. Two of these individuals represented themselves as employees of international consulting companies. Despite clear indications and believing that they were working on behalf of China, Schena continued his relationship with them.
In Aug 2024, Schena met an individual at a hotel in Peru who provided Schena $10,000 and a cellphone that was intended to be used for Schena to receive taskings and transmit information.
In Oct 2024, while at work, Schena used the cellphone he received in Peru to photograph and transmit at least four classified documents that contained national defense information and which were classified at the SECRET level. In Feb 2025, surveillance video captured Schena again using the cellphone to photograph seven documents marked as SECRET that contained national defense information. FBI agents seized the cellphone before Schena could transmit photographs of these classified documents to his handlers, and arrested Schena.
justice.gov/opa/pr/departm
Department of State employee, was sentenced to 48 months in prison for conspiring to collect and transmit national defense information to individuals he believed to be working for the government.
Beginning in April 2022, Michael Charles Schena communicated with people he met online through various communication platforms and provided them sensitive US government information, in exchange for money. Two of these individuals represented themselves as employees of international consulting companies. Despite clear indications and believing that they were working on behalf of China, Schena continued his relationship with them.
In Aug 2024, Schena met an individual at a hotel in Peru who provided Schena $10,000 and a cellphone that was intended to be used for Schena to receive taskings and transmit information.
In Oct 2024, while at work, Schena used the cellphone he received in Peru to photograph and transmit at least four classified documents that contained national defense information and which were classified at the SECRET level. In Feb 2025, surveillance video captured Schena again using the cellphone to photograph seven documents marked as SECRET that contained national defense information. FBI agents seized the cellphone before Schena could transmit photographs of these classified documents to his handlers, and arrested Schena.
justice.gov/opa/pr/departm