Who is Julian Assange and why is the embattled WikiLeaks founder now on the verge of freedom?

News that the U.S. Justice Department has reached a plea deal with Julian Assange brings a stunning culmination to a long-running saga of international intrigue that spanned multiple continents and has had as its central character a quixotic internet publisher with a disdain for government secrets. An Australian editor and publisher, Assange is best known for having founded WikiLeaks, which gained attention for the 2010 release of almost half a million documents relating to U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He's set to plead guilty to conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified information relating to the national defense of the United States. Rather than prison time in the U.S., he is expected to return to Australia after his plea and sentencing.