US military analyst accused of leaking national security data to China pleads guilty
A US military intelligence analyst accused of selling national security information to China has pleaded guilty.
Following investigations by US Army counterintelligence and the FBI, US Army soldier and intelligence analyst Korbein Schultz was arrested in March.
He was charged with conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information along with several other charges, after he conspired with a Hong Kong-based individual believed to be an agent of the Chinese government to share national defense data for financial gain, those he was able to access through his position in the US military.
According to the investigation, which began in June 2022, Schultz received $42,000 for “dozens of confidential and restricted U.S. military documents on a variety of U.S. military weapons systems and U.S. military tactics and strategies, including documents containing export-controlled technical data.” ”. said the US Department of Justice.
The alleged Chinese government agent received 11 different types of classified information before he was arrested, including information about the war in Ukraine and how the lessons of the conflict would shape the US defense of Taiwan, Air Force tactics and procedures related to a series of airplanes. including the F-22A, HH-60, U-2 and B-52, documents related to Chinese military tactics, data on missile systems and artillery weapons, information on military exercises in the Philippines and the Republic of Korea, documents related to the deployment of American soldiers to Eastern Europe to assist in NATO operations and more.
“This soldier swore an oath to faithfully carry out his duties, including the protection of national defense information,” said Brigadier General Rhett R. Cox.
“Not only did he fail in his sworn duty, but he put personal benefit before his duty to our country and revealed information that could give an advantage to a foreign nation, endangering his fellow soldiers.
“America is governed by the rule of law, and when people placed in a position of trust violate that trust, the FBI and our partners will hold them accountable.
“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 protected from hostile foreign governments.”
Schultz will face sentencing on January 23 of next year, where he faces a total maximum sentence on all charges of 65 years.
