( CNN ) -- Adrian Lamo , the former computer hacker who tipped off federal authorities to WikiLeaks suspect Bradley Manning , says two men in the Boston area have told Lamo in phone conversations that they assisted Manning . Lamo said both men attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology , but he refused to identify them because , he said , at least one of them has threatened him . One of these men allegedly told Lamo they gave encryption software to Manning and taught the Army private how to use it , Lamo said . Manning , an Army intelligence analyst , is being held in solitary confinement at a Virginia detention facility . He is charged with leaking an airstrike video that the whistleblower website WikiLeaks published in April , and Pentagon officials say he is the prime suspect in last week 's disclosure of thousands of field reports from the war in Afghanistan to the site . Lamo claimed both men are working for WikiLeaks . Also , both men are Facebook friends with Lamo and Manning , and at least one continues to post Facebook messages on Lamo 's wall , the former hacker said . Asked for comment about Lamo 's allegation that men working for WikiLeaks assisted Manning , WikiLeaks responded in an e-mail : `` As a matter of policy , we do not discuss any matters to do with allegations relating to the identity of sources . '' The New York Times reported Saturday that Army investigators looking into the document leak have expanded their inquiry to include friends and associates who may have helped Manning . Specifically , the Times spoke to two civilians interviewed in recent weeks by the Army 's criminal division , who said that investigators apparently believed that the friends , who include students from MIT and Boston University , might have connections to WikiLeaks . The civilians , who the Times did not name , told the newspaper they had no connection to WikiLeaks . The Boston Globe interviewed a recent MIT graduate who it said acknowledged Saturday that he met Manning in January and exchanged as many as 10 e-mails with him about security issues . But the individual `` adamantly '' denied any role in the document leak , the Globe reported . The Globe also reported that this MIT graduate , who spoke on the condition of anonymity , said he was interviewed several months ago by Army investigators to find out whether he or `` others in the local computer hacker community '' helped Manning . A spokeswoman for MIT , Patti Richards , told CNN : `` We are monitoring the situation closely , but are not commenting at this time . '' CNN has previously reported that the FBI is assisting the Defense Department in the WikiLeaks investigation of Manning . One FBI official told CNN the bureau is involved in the investigation of potential civilian co-conspirators who may have played a role in the leaking of the classified material . Attempts to reach an attorney for Manning have so far been unsuccessful . CNN 's Ashley Fantz , Ashley Vaughan and Shirley Hung contributed to this report .
Hacker says he 's talked to two men who say they helped WikiLeaks suspect Manning . Lamo says at least one of the men threatened him . MIT says it wo n't comment at this time . The suspect in WikiLeaks disclosures is being held in Virginia .