Joshua Schulte: Ex-CIA Hacker Receives a 40-Year Prison Sentence

Joshua Schulte has been convicted of multiple charges, including espionage, computer hacking, contempt of court, making false statements to the FBI, and possessing child abuse images. The charges stem from his alleged leaking of the CIA’s “Vault 7” tools, enabling the hacking of smartphones for surveillance purposes. Described as one of the most audacious leaks in U.S. history, Schulte shared approximately 8,761 documents with WikiLeaks in 2017, resulting in the largest data breach in CIA history.

Despite denying the allegations, Schulte faced three separate federal trials in New York in 2020, 2022, and 2023, leading to his conviction. The 35-year-old, who worked as a software developer in the Center for Cyber Intelligence, engaged in cyber espionage against terrorist organizations and foreign governments.

Prosecutors argued that Schulte, motivated by a workplace dispute, transmitted stolen information to WikiLeaks in 2016 and subsequently lied to the FBI about his involvement. His actions were seen as a vengeful response to perceived wrongs, contributing to significant damage to national security. The leak, which began in 2017, immediately compromised the CIA’s ability to gather foreign intelligence, jeopardized personnel and programs, and incurred substantial financial losses.

Following the WikiLeaks publication, the FBI interviewed Schulte multiple times, during which he consistently denied responsibility. However, a search of his apartment uncovered tens of thousands of images of child sexual abuse materials. Moreover, after his arrest, Schulte attempted to transmit additional information by smuggling a phone into jail. Using the alias Jason Bourne, a fictional intelligence operative, he drafted tweets disclosing details about CIA cyber tools.

Having been in custody since 2018, Schulte now faces the consequences of his actions, described by U.S. Attorney Damian Williams as “some of the most brazen, heinous crimes of espionage in American history.”