Intelligence Officer Pleads Guilty to Espionage, Selling Military Information to China

A U.S. Army intelligence officer has pled guilty to charges of selling critical military information to a foreign agent believed to be linked to the Chinese government. The officer, 24-year-old Korbein Schultz, admitted to multiple charges, including conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information, exporting technical data without a license, and bribery, as announced by the Justice Department on Tuesday. Schultz, stationed at Fort Campbell on the Kentucky-Tennessee border, now faces a potential 65-year prison sentence.

Details of the Case:

• Illegal Activities: Schultz’s espionage activities began in June 2022 and continued until his arrest in March. He served as a Classified Document Custodian, a role that granted him access to sensitive defense materials. Among the information he sold were documents outlining U.S. strategies for applying lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war to Taiwan, intelligence on the Chinese military, and details about U.S. military exercises with South Korea and the Philippines.

• Monetary Gain: In exchange for the classified information, Schultz received approximately $42,000 from the Hong Kong-based individual believed to be connected to the Chinese government.

• Potential Sentence: Schultz faces a harsh sentence, with up to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to transmit national defense information, 20 years for exporting defense data without a license, 20 years for conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act, and an additional 15 years for bribery.

U.S. Attorney Henry Leventis condemned Schultz’s actions, stating, “This defendant sold national defense information to a foreign actor and conspired to corrupt other members of our military. In doing so, he violated his training and his oath as a member of the armed services and he compromised our national security.”

The FBI and the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command, which spearheaded the investigation, underscored the gravity of Schultz’s betrayal. FBI official Robert Well remarked, “Governments like China are aggressively targeting our military personnel and national security information, and we will do everything in our power to ensure that information is safeguarded from hostile foreign governments.”

Brigadier General Rhett Cox also criticized Schultz’s actions, emphasizing the severity of the betrayal. “This Soldier swore an oath to faithfully discharge his duties, to include protecting national defense information. Not only did he fail in his sworn duty, but he placed personal gain above his duty to our country and disclosed information that could give an advantage to a foreign nation, putting his fellow Soldiers in jeopardy.”

As Schultz awaits sentencing in January, his case serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing threats to national security posed by foreign adversaries and the critical importance of safeguarding sensitive information within the military.

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