A former U.S. Department of State employee has been sentenced to four years in prison for conspiring to transmit national defense information to individuals he knew were working for the government of the People’s Republic of China. The sentencing took place in Alexandria, Virginia.
“The price of Michael Schena’s disgraceful betrayal of his country is far more than the paltry amount for which he traded his honor,” said Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “His acts of selfish avarice left that price to be paid by the faithful women and men of our intelligence community and the nation they serve. The cost Schena will pay is the loss of his integrity, his reputation, and, by today’s sentence, his freedom.”
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg commented on the case: “The defendant threw away his career, betrayed his country, and abused the trust the United States placed in him by granting his Top Secret security clearance. He will spend years of his life in prison for passing classified information to individuals he believed to be Chinese government agents. Today’s sentence serves as a warning to those who would violate the trust placed in them by our Nation and double-cross the American people.”
“Michael Schena deliberately undermined U.S. national security and put American lives at risk by selling classified information to the Chinese Government,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “The Chinese government continues to aggressively target U.S. government employees to steal our classified information, and this sentencing makes clear the FBI and our partners will do everything in our power to defend the Homeland. Anyone thinking of betraying their oath to the United States should consider the severe consequences and know the FBI will work tirelessly to bring them to justice.”
Daniel Wierzbicki, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Counterintelligence and Cyber Division added: “As a State Department employee, Schena’s mission should have been to promote U.S. security and prosperity throughout the world, but instead he jeopardized national security by transmitting classified information to individuals whom he believed worked for an adversarial government. As today’s sentencing demonstrates, the U.S. government remains committed to investigating and prosecuting clearance holders who seek to cash in on our nation’s secrets.”
Court documents show that starting in April 2022, Michael Charles Schena communicated online with individuals who presented themselves as employees of international consulting companies but gave indications they were acting on behalf of China’s government. Despite these indications, Schena continued providing sensitive government information in exchange for money.
In August 2024 while traveling abroad in Peru, Schena met with one individual who gave him $10,000 along with a cellphone intended for further communications and transmission of sensitive materials.
By October 2024 while at work, Schena photographed and transmitted at least four SECRET-level classified documents containing national defense information using this device. In February 2025 surveillance footage captured him again photographing seven additional SECRET-marked documents; however, FBI agents seized his phone before he could send these images.
Schena was arrested following this investigation led by multiple agencies including both Washington and Richmond Field Offices of the FBI as well as divisions within both Justice Department and State Department.
U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff issued today’s sentence after considering evidence presented during trial proceedings.
Further details about this case can be found on official resources such as the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Eastern District of Virginia, the District Court for Eastern District of Virginia, or via PACER under Case No. 1:25-cr-158.
