The US Department of Justice announced on Tuesday, August 13th, that a US Army intelligence analyst admitted to conspiring to sell military documents and classified information to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). According to a press release from the Department of Justice, the Army analyst sold 12 categories of sensitive military documents related to US defense of Taiwan, weapons systems, and missile defense systems to the CCP.
In March of this year, Army Specialist and intelligence analyst Korbein Schultz was charged with conspiring to disclose national defense information, exporting defense items and technical data without permission, and bribing public officials.
The press release issued by the Department of Justice on Tuesday stated that according to the charges and plea documents, Schultz, holding top-secret/sensitive compartmented information (TS/SCI) security clearance as an enlisted intelligence analyst in the US Army, conspired with an individual residing in Hong Kong suspected of having connections with the Chinese government (co-conspirator A) to collect US defense information, including classified information and export-controlled technical data related to US military weapon systems, and transmit this information to co-conspirator A in exchange for money.
Court documents indicate that Schultz was assigned to the 506th Infantry Regiment in the Army.
During the conspiracy, co-conspirator A instructed Schultz to collect sensitive information related to missile defense and mobile artillery systems and provide it to co-conspirator A.
The Department of Justice listed the 12 types of sensitive military documents that Schultz sent to co-conspirator A before his arrest, including various US military weapon systems, military tactics and strategies, and export-controlled technical data:
1. A document discussing lessons learned by the US Army from the Ukraine/Russia war and their application for Taiwan defense;
2. An overview document of Schultz’s unit’s deployment to Eastern Europe in support of NATO operations;
3. An Air Force Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (AFTTP) document related to the HH-60 helicopter;
4. An AFTTP manual related to the F-22A fighter jet;
5. An AFTTP manual related to intercontinental ballistic missile system operations;
6. A publication related to the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft;
7. A document describing improvements to the B-52 bomber;
8. A document outlining strategies to counter unmanned aerial systems and the use of unmanned aerial systems in large-scale military operations;
9. Documents on Chinese military strategy, military preparedness, and the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force;
10. Documents on rocket, missile, and artillery weapon systems, including highly mobile artillery rocket systems and terminal high-altitude area defense missile systems;
11. Documents on US military exercises and forces in Korea and the Philippines;
12. A document related to US military satellites.
The Department of Justice stated that Schultz received approximately $42,000 from co-conspirator A in exchange for this information.
Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for National Security at the Department of Justice, said in the press release, “The defendant abused his access to restricted government systems, knowingly sold sensitive military information to foreign individuals.”
“By conspiring to transmit defense information to individuals residing outside the United States, the defendant exploited the trust our military placed in him, callously putting our national security at risk. Today’s plea is a stark reminder that those who betray their oaths for personal gain will be identified and brought to justice,” Olsen added.
Robert Wells, Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI’s National Security Branch, remarked in the press release, “The United States operates under the rule of law, and when trusted individuals betray that trust, the FBI and our partners will hold them accountable. Governments like China (CCP) aggressively target our military personnel and national security information, and we will spare no effort to safeguard that information from hostile foreign governments.”
Schultz’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 23, 2025. He faces up to 10 years in prison for conspiring to obtain and transmit national defense information, up to 20 years for exporting technical data related to defense items to the People’s Republic of China (Communist China) without authorization, up to 20 years for conspiring to violate the Arms Export Control Act and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), and up to 15 years for bribing public officials. The federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.