U.S. Federal Prosecutors Charge NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden with Espionage

As reported at CNN, U.S. prosecutors have charged NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden with espionage and theft of government property. According to the WAPO, Snowden was charged with theft, “unauthorized communication of national defense information” and “willful communication of classified communications intelligence information to an unauthorized person.” The United States has asked Hong Kong to detain the former National Security Agency contract analyst on a provisional arrest warrant.  From KTLA5,  the complaint was filed June 14 in the Eastern District of Virginia, a jurisdiction where Snowden’s former employer, Booz Allen Hamilton, is headquartered.

Federal prosecutors have charged Edward Snowden, the man who admitted leaking top-secret details about U.S. surveillance programs, with espionage and theft of government property, according to a criminal complaint unsealed in U.S. District Court in Virginia on Friday.

The United States has asked Hong Kong, where Snowden is believed to be in hiding, to detain the former National Security Agency contract analyst on a provisional arrest warrant, The Washington Post reported, citing unnamed U.S. officials.

The complaint charges Snowden with theft of government property, unauthorized communication of national defense information and willful communication of classified communications intelligence to an unauthorized person. The latter two allegations amount to espionage under the federal Espionage Act.