A former NSA contractor is about to be charged in the 'largest theft of classified government material ever'

(Image credit: Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images)

Federal prosecutors plan to charge former National Security Agency contractor Harold T. Martin III with violating the Espionage Act after he stole what is believed to be "the largest theft of classified government material ever" over the course of 20 years, The Washington Post reports.

In a 12-page memo, U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein and two other prosecutors laid out a much more far-reaching case against Harold T. Martin III than was previously outlined. They say he took at least 50 terabytes of data and "six full banker's boxes worth of documents," with many lying open in his home office or kept on his car's back seat and in the trunk. Other material was stored in a shed on his property.One terabyte is the equivalent of 500 hours' worth of movies. [The Washington Post]

In early October, Martin's former wife told The New York Times Martin was "a bit of a hoarder." Investigators were unsure if Martin had intended to leak the data.

For now, prosecutors are hoping to keep Martin in jail, saying he could still flee abroad; he reportedly communicated with people in Russia and downloaded information on the Russian language. Martin also had an "arsenal" of weapons in his car and home, which his current wife, Deborah Vinson, asked to be removed because she feared Martin would commit suicide if he "thought it was all over."

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.