A US Army intelligence analyst, Sergeant Korbein Schultz, has pleaded guilty to sharing sensitive defense information with China. Schultz, who held a top-secret security clearance, was arrested in March at Fort Campbell, a military base on the Kentucky-Tennessee border.
Charges and Details of the Case
Schultz admitted to several charges, including:
- Conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information
- Exporting technical defense data without a license
- Conspiracy to export defense articles without a license
- Bribery of a public official
According to the Justice Department, Schultz sold dozens of classified US military documents to an individual in Hong Kong, whom he believed was connected to the Chinese government. He received $42,000 for providing this sensitive information.
Content of the Leaked Documents
The documents Schultz handed over included:
- US Army lessons from the Ukraine-Russia conflict, applicable to Taiwan’s defense
- Details on Chinese military tactics and preparedness
- Information on US military exercises and forces in South Korea and the Philippines
- Specifications related to military aircraft and missile systems, such as the HH-60 helicopter, F-22A fighter jet, and U-2 reconnaissance aircraft
FBI’s Response and Potential Consequences
Robert Wells, executive assistant director of the FBI’s National Security Branch, emphasized the ongoing threat posed by foreign governments like China targeting US military personnel and national security information. Schultz now faces the possibility of decades in prison, with his sentencing hearing scheduled for January 23, 2025.
Related Cases
Schultz’s arrest follows a series of similar incidents, including the arrests of two US Navy sailors in California for spying for China. One of these sailors, Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao, was sentenced to 27 months in prison earlier this year for conspiring with a foreign intelligence officer and accepting a bribe.
