14 DAY TRIAL // Harold Thomas Martin III, a former NSA contractor, was indicted. The former Booz Allen Hamilton employee is being accused of stealing secret and top-secret software and documents from intelligence agencies for over 20 years.
According to the case the US Department of Justice laid against Martin, over the past two decades, he worked for seven private companies as a freelancer, including Booz Allen Hamilton, the former employer of whistleblower Edward Snowden. His main tasks were related to various Department of Defense and US intelligence projects.
“Martin held security clearances up to top secret and sensitive compartmented information (SCI) at various times, and worked on a number of highly classified, specialized projects where he had access to government computer systems, programs and information, including classified information. Over his many years of holding a security clearance, Martin received training regarding classified information and his duty to protect classified materials from unauthorized disclosure,” reads a statement released by the prosecutors.
Long list of documents
According to the indictment, Martin allegedly started stealing and retaining US government property starting back in 1996 and continuing until August 2016. The list of things he is accused of stealing includes documents with the indication that they are property of the United States, including highly classified documents, top secret files, and more. The latter types of files are dangerous for the national security of the United States.
“Martin allegedly retained stolen documents containing classified information relating to the national defense at his residence and in his vehicle. Martin knew that the stolen documents contained classified information that related to national defense and that he was never authorized to retain these documents at his residence or in his vehicle,” further reads the statement.
Among the files that Martin allegedly stole and stashed at home and in his car are organizational plans of the NSA, files discussing potential cyber targets, foreign network hacking techniques, specific methods and capabilities, processes and procedures, and more.
Hoarder, not whistleblower
Martin was charged back in October 2016. Unlike Snowden, however, Martin lawyers claim he’s not a whistleblower, and he certainly hasn’t been selling files to foreign powers. Instead, he’s apparently a compulsive hoarder who simply took the top secret files with him home, without ill intentions.
He faces up to ten years in prison for each of the 20 counts of willful retention of national defense information that he’s being accused of.