The U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) announced on Friday that a State Department employee is facing criminal charges for allegedly sharing sensitive government information with individuals he met online, according to a criminal complaint.

Michael Charles Schena, 42, has been charged with conspiring to collect and transmit U.S. national defense information to unauthorized recipients.

Schena, who worked at the State Department’s headquarters in Washington, held a top-secret security clearance and had access to classified information up to the secret level, the Justice Department stated in a press release.

This is a developing news story and will be updated as more information is available.

The Harry S. Truman Federal Building, headquarters of the U.S. Department of State, is pictured on October 08, 2024, in Washington, DC.

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