US State Department Employee Sentenced 4 Years for Selling Secrets to China

Michael Schena, a 42-year-old State Department employee with a top secret security clearance, was sentenced to four years in prison for conspiring to provide classified national defense information to individuals he believed to be working for the Chinese government. Beginning in 2022, Schena communicated with these individuals online and received at least $10,000 in exchange for sensitive documents, which he transmitted using a cellphone given to him during a meeting in Peru. Surveillance footage and FBI investigations revealed he photographed and sent several secret-level documents, putting U.S. national security and American lives at risk. The Justice Department and FBI emphasized that Schena betrayed his country and abused the trust placed in him, underscoring the severe consequences for those who compromise national security. This case is part of a broader pattern of prosecutions involving espionage activities linked to China. Officials urged vigilance and warned that the government will continue to defend the homeland against such threats.