This is one of the last things the U.S. Military wanted to happen. It’s left a stain on the nation’s armed forces.
And the pentagon erupts in flames after a U.S. service-member is sentenced for treason.
Former Army Analyst Faces Seven Years for Sharing Secrets with China
A 25-year-old former U.S. Army intelligence analyst, Korbein Schultz of Wills Point, Texas, was sentenced to seven years in prison on Wednesday for passing sensitive military information to an individual he believed was tied to the Chinese government. The sentencing follows Schultz’s guilty plea in August 2024, where he admitted to charges of conspiring to collect and transmit national defense information, illegally exporting controlled data to China, and accepting bribes for sharing restricted U.S. government materials.
From May 2022 until his arrest in March 2024, Schultz engaged in a calculated scheme to supply a foreign national in China with dozens of confidential U.S. military documents. Court records reveal that many of these files contained export-controlled tactical and technical details.
Despite “clear indications” that his contact was likely linked to the Chinese government, Schultz persisted in the exchange, receiving approximately $42,000 in payments, authorities confirmed.
Schultz’s disclosures were extensive and alarming. He shared his Army unit’s operational order before its deployment to Eastern Europe in support of NATO operations, as well as lessons learned from the Ukraine-Russia conflict that could apply to Taiwan’s defense.
He also provided technical manuals for critical U.S. military assets, including the HH-60 helicopter, F-22A fighter jet, and Intercontinental Ballistic Missile systems. Further, Schultz handed over insights into Chinese military tactics, the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, and U.S. military exercises in South Korea and the Philippines.
His leaks extended to U.S. military satellites, missile defense systems like the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, and strategies for countering drones in large-scale combat.
The scheme began when Schultz, fresh off receiving his Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information clearance, was approached through a freelance online work platform. The individual, posing as a client from a geopolitical consulting firm, initially requested analyses of U.S. military capabilities, focusing on Taiwan and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
As their relationship deepened, the demands grew more precise, targeting technical manuals, operational procedures, and intelligence assessments. The contact emphasized the need for “exclusiveness” and materials marked “CUI and better,” pushing Schultz to access and share highly classified information in exchange for money.
Schultz, fully aware of the national security risks, tapped into restricted databases, including secure U.S. government networks, to retrieve and send at least 92 sensitive military documents, according to the Department of Justice.
He also attempted to pull a friend—an Army intelligence analyst stationed at the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, which oversees operations involving China—into the plot.
Court documents show Schultz and his Chinese contact discussed recruiting another insider with greater access to classified materials, planning to proceed in a “nice and slow fashion.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi condemned Schultz’s actions, stating he betrayed his oath to protect the nation and endangered U.S. military personnel.
“The Justice Department remains vigilant against China’s efforts to target our military and will ensure that those who leak military secrets spend years behind bars,” Bondi said in a statement.
FBI Director Kash Patel echoed her sentiments, noting that service members are a “prime target” for China’s intelligence-gathering efforts. “This sentencing is a stark warning to those who betray our country: you will pay a steep price for it,” Patel said.
“The People’s Republic of China is relentless in its efforts to steal our national defense information, and service members are a prime target. The FBI and our partners will continue to root out espionage and hold those accountable who abandon their obligation to safeguard defense information from hostile foreign governments.”
Schultz’s case highlights the persistent threat of foreign espionage targeting U.S. military personnel and the severe consequences for those who compromise national security for personal gain.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
