WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday announced criminal charges against a State Department employee accused of sharing sensitive government information with people he met online, according to criminal charges.
Michael Charles Schena, 42, is accused of conspiring to collect and send US defense information to people who are not authorized to receive it.
Scheana, who worked at Washington's State Department headquarters, maintained secret security clearance and had access to information up to the level of confidentiality, the Department of Justice said in a statement.
Schena, a South Caribbean desk officer, has yet to enter the plea.
His attorneys did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and a State Department spokesman declined to comment.
He accepted payments from April 2022 by sharing information with people he met through “various communication platforms,” according to criminal charges filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Surveillance footage shot Shena, who filmed at least five secret diplomatic documents at the State Department's labor station last month.
He was arrested the same day outside his Virginia home.
It is not immediately clear what the document is or who was shared. The invoice mentioned in the criminal charges refers to “CNY,” and said authorities believe it is a reference to China's yuan.
