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Ex-programmer Joshua Schulte receives a multi-decade sentence for leaking spy agency’s cyber espionage activities, as well as sex crime charges.
The man who leaked a trove of CIA hacking details and tools to Wikileaks in 2017 has been sentenced to 40 years in prison after being found guilty of eight counts, including espionage and obstruction of justice.
Joshua Schulte, aged 35, was arrested in August 2017 after leaking a trove of documents to Wikileaks in 2016. Included in the leaked documents – released in 24 parts between March and September 2017 – were details on hacking Apple devices, source code for and details of CIA-developed malware and hacking tools, as well a Raytheon-developed missile control system. Wikileaks referred to the entire set of leaks as “Vault 7”.
At the time, a senior CIA executive called the incident the “equivalent of a digital Pearl Harbor”.
The leaks were thought to be motivated by revenge over Schulte’s treatment while working in the CIA’s classified operations support branch. Schulte was known as a difficult co-worker and had been involved in several altercations with fellow employees.
During a series of raids on Schulte’s apartment, investigators also found a large amount of child sexual abuse material, over which he was also charged.
The 40-year sentence is in response to both his leaking activities and his sex crimes allegations.
“Joshua Schulte betrayed his country by committing some of the most brazen, heinous crimes of espionage in American history,” said Damian Williams, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, in a statement.
“He caused untold damage to our national security in his quest for revenge against the CIA for its response to Schulte’s security breaches while employed there. When the FBI caught him, Schulte doubled down and tried to cause even more harm to this nation by waging what he described as an ‘information war’ of publishing top secret information from behind bars. And all the while, Schulte collected thousands upon thousands of videos and images of children being subjected to sickening abuse for his own personal gratification. The outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the career prosecutors in this office unmasked Schulte for the traitor and predator that he is and made sure that he will spend 40 years behind bars – right where he belongs.”
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.
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