The seal of the CIA Jeffrey Alexander Sterling, an ex-officer of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), was taken into custody Thursday by federal agents in St. Louis , Missouri. He was indicted on six separate counts of unauthorized disclosure of national defense information, as well as four additional charges: mail fraud , unlawfully keeping national defense information, obstruction of justice , and unauthorized conveyance of government property. Sterling, aged 43, had been employed by the CIA from May 1993 until he was fired in January 2002. During his arraignment , a judge declared that he would be held until a Monday hearing because the government called him a danger to the community. Sterling, an African American lawyer who lives in O'Fallon , allegedly provided classified information to New York Times reporter James Risen , some of which was incorporated into Risen's 2006 State of War: The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration . Risen, who wrote about the CIA's involvement in Iran's nuclear program, has not named any of his sources even after being subpeonaed twice; Risen was not explicitly named in Sterling's indictment, but his involvement in the alleged leak is strongly supported by its contents, and a US government official confirmed the connection to NBC News . Edward B. MacMahon Jr., a Virginia attorney for Sterling, said, "He has always maintained his innocence throughout the course of this entire investigation. We'll seek to prove that in court." MacMahon also said trial will be held at a U.S. District Court in Alexandria , as the case began in that state. Every charge against Sterling comes with the possibility of 10–20 years of jail time. US Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer made a statement, saying that "Sterling placed at risk our national security and the life of an individual working on a classified mission." A spokesperson for the CIA said, "Separate and apart from any specific instance, including this matter involving a former agency officer who left the CIA years ago, we take very seriously the unauthorized disclosure of classified information." The New York Times did not comment on the matter. The Obama administration has already taken action in several similar leaks involving government officers. The administration has also initiated an investigation into Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, after the site's release of thousands of classified documents. 
The seal of the CIA Jeffrey Alexander Sterling, an ex-officer of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), was taken into custody Thursday by federal agents in , Missouri. He was indicted on six separate counts of unauthorized disclosure of national defense information, as well as four additional charges: , unlawfully keeping national defense information, , and unauthorized conveyance of government property. Sterling, aged 43, had been employed by the CIA from May 1993 until he was fired in January 2002. During his , a judge declared that he would be held until a Monday hearing because the government called him a danger to the community. Sterling, an African American lawyer who lives in , allegedly provided classified information to reporter , some of which was incorporated into Risen's 2006 . Risen, who wrote about the CIA's involvement in Iran's nuclear program, has not named any of his sources even after being twice; Risen was not explicitly named in Sterling's indictment, but his involvement in the alleged leak is strongly supported by its contents, and a US government official confirmed the connection to . Edward B. MacMahon Jr., a Virginia attorney for Sterling, said, "He has always maintained his innocence throughout the course of this entire investigation. We'll seek to prove that in court." MacMahon also said trial will be held at a in , as the case began in that state. Every charge against Sterling comes with the possibility of 10–20 years of jail time. made a statement, saying that "Sterling placed at risk our national security and the life of an individual working on a classified mission." A spokesperson for the CIA said, "Separate and apart from any specific instance, including this matter involving a former agency officer who left the CIA years ago, we take very seriously the unauthorized disclosure of classified information." The New York Times did not comment on the matter. The has already taken action in several similar leaks involving government officers. The administration has also initiated an investigation into Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, after the site's release of thousands of classified documents. Related news
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St. Louis
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mail fraud
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obstruction of justice
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arraignment
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O'Fallon
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New York Times reporter James Risen
reporter
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State of War: The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration
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subpeonaed
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NBC News
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U.S. District Court in Alexandria
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US Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer
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Obama administration
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