WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange pleads guilty to conspiracy after 5 years in prison NBC News Top Stories By: Doha Madani and Phil Helsel and The Associated Press 25 June 2024 at 21:41 WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information, ending a yearslong legal battle and allowing him to return home a free man for the first time since 2012.