Office of Public Affairs | U.S. Army Intelligence Analyst Arrested and Charged with Conspiracy to Obtain and Disclose National Defense Information, Export Control Violations and Bribery | United States Department of Justice
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| Sgt. Korbein Schultz was arrested for conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information and other charges. Photo released March 7, 2024 by the U.S. Army. / Credit: U.S. Army photo |
US soldier charged for selling sensitive military information to China
A US army sergeant, Corbin Schultz, has been accused of selling classified information related to advanced fighter aircraft, military helicopters, intercontinental ballistic missiles, and Chinese military tactics to a co-conspirator in China. Schultz, an intelligence analyst based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, allegedly received $42,000 for providing the information on six separate occasions. He is also accused of attempting to recruit others to share more information with his contact in China. The case, which involves six federal charges, is being treated as a matter of national concern by the US Attorney for Middle Tennessee and the FBI.
Court documents state Schultz said he'd continue sending "an abundance of information" to the conspirator, who allegedly told the soldier he would be sent more money for documents that were higher classified. In the case of one classified document potentially lending to a higher payout, Schultz allegedly responded to Conspirator A saying, "I hope so! I need to get my other BMW back!"
Schultz, whose duties with the Army included training colleagues on the proper handling and dissemination of classified information, once allegedly told Conspirator A that he wanted to be "Jason Bourne," referring to the fictional CIA assassin in the film franchise of the same name.
Selling US secrets seems to be trending. Just this week, two other U.S. military employees
faced charges related to their leaking of classified security
documents. On Monday, Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack
Teixeira pleaded guilty to posting sensitive intelligence information on
Discord, and on the same day, a U.S. Air Force employee was charged
with transmitting classified information about the Russia-Ukraine war on
foreign dating site. In addition several US sailors in the San Diego area were found guilty of espionage.
Who Is Korbein Schultz? Soldier Accused of Selling Docs to Chinese National
Federal prosecutors have arrested and charged a U.S. Army soldier and intelligence analyst, accusing him of selling national defense information to a foreign national living in China.
Korbein Schultz was detained at Kentucky's Fort Campbell on Thursday and indicted on six counts, including conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information and bribery of a public official. According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), Schultz accepted at least 14 payments totaling $42,000 from an unnamed conspirator, beginning in June 2022. The conspirator, described as a "foreign national" in the indictment, resides in Hong Kong.
The documents that Schultz is accused of selling had top-secret security clearance, include writings, maps and photographs related to national defense. Prosecutors said that Schultz "had reason to believe [the documents] could be used to injure the United States or used to the advantage of a foreign nation."
The Context
According to the indictment, Schultz, a sergeant, was assigned to the Army's 506th Infantry Battalion. His primary duties included "developing mission analysis products," gathering information to "assist with mission-oriented decisions" and "assessing enemy composition, disposition, and capabilities."
Prosecutors said that many of the documents to which Schultz had access included classified information and were "subject to export controls." Communication between him and the unnamed conspirator reportedly took place through "multiple internet-based encrypted methods."
It is not known if the conspirator who received information from Schultz is connected to the Chinese government, but investigators said that the Hong Kong resident worked for a geopolitical consulting firm that is based overseas.
What We Know
Schultz was specifically tasked by the conspirator to gather information related to U.S. military weapons systems and defense planning information in the event that Taiwan came under attack, according to the DOJ. Some of the documents sent by Schultz included information related to the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), hypersonic equipment and studies on the future development of the U.S. military, the indictment read.
In August 2022, prosecutors said, Schultz began sending the conspirator information and documents regarding studies by the U.S. military on major countries, including China. The Army sergeant is also accused of providing documents pertaining to U.S. Navy exercises in the Philippine Sea and China's observations of such endeavors.
According to the indictment, the conspirator told Schultz that materials pertaining to China would receive "high compensation" and that he should "look for and prioritize" such documents. Prosecutors tracked communications between Schultz and the conspirator from June 2022 to October 2023.
The FBI and U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command led the investigations.
Views
U.S. Brigadier General Rhett Cox, commander of the Army Counterintelligence Command, touted Schultz's arrest as proof of the division's commitment to "safeguarding our nation's secrets."
"We cannot tolerate any betrayal of trust, and we remain vigilant in our mission to protect national defense information crucial to our security," Cox added in a press release shared by the DOJ. "We encourage all members of the Army team, past or present, to remain vigilant and report any potential suspicious activity."
Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew Olsen also said in the release that Schultz's actions placed "personal profit above the security of the American people."
"Today's arrest shows that such a betrayal does not pay—the Department of Justice is committed to identifying and holding accountable those who would break their oath to protect our nation's secrets," Olsen said.
Newsweek reached out to the DOJ's press office for additional information on Thursday.
What's Next?
According to court documents, Josh Kurtzman, assistant U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, is leading the prosecution of Schultz, alongside trial attorneys Adam Barry and Christopher Cook of the DOJ's National Security Division.
US soldier wanting to be 'Jason Bourne' sold military secrets to China
Federal prosecutors have arrested and charged a U.S. Army intelligence analyst who allegedly sold classified military information to a contact in China for more than a year.
Sgt. Korbein Schultz was taken into custody at Fort Campbell on the Kentucky–Tennessee border Thursday after a federal grand jury indicted him on six charges, including conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information and bribery of a public official.
According to the indictment, from June 2022 until his arrest, the 24-year-old used his top-secret security clearance to gather blueprints, maps and plans related to the U.S. military's defense systems, later sending the documents to a purported Hong Kong-based geopolitical consultant, identified as Conspirator A in the court filing, in exchange for $42,000.
Prosecutors allege Conspirator A specifically requested Schultz send information about how the Russia-Ukraine war had shaped U.S. plans in defending Taiwan should it come under attack as well as data pertaining to artillery weapon and missile systems, summaries of military operations, hypersonic equipment information, military satellite data and studies on major countries, including China.
Court documents state Schultz said he'd continue sending "an abundance of information" to the conspirator, who allegedly told the soldier he would be sent more money for documents that were higher classified. In the case of one classified document potentially lending to a higher payout, Schultz allegedly responded to Conspirator A saying, "I hope so! I need to get my other BMW back!"
Schultz, whose duties with the Army included training colleagues on the proper handling and dissemination of classified information, once allegedly told Conspirator A that he wanted to be "Jason Bourne," referring to the fictional CIA assassin in the film franchise of the same name.
"Today's arrest shows that such a betrayal does not pay — the Department of Justice is committed to identifying and holding accountable those who would break their oath to protect our nation's secrets," said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department's National Security Division.
Just this week, two other U.S. military employees faced charges related to their leaking of classified security documents. On Monday, Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira pleaded guilty to posting sensitive intelligence information on Discord, and on the same day, a U.S. Air Force employee was charged with transmitting classified information about the Russia-Ukraine war on foreign dating site.
"We cannot tolerate any betrayal of trust, and we remain vigilant in our mission to protect national defense information crucial to our security," said Brig. Gen. Rhett R. Cox, commanding general of the Army Counterintelligence Command. "We encourage all members of the Army team, past or present, to remain vigilant and report any potential suspicious activity."
In a motion for Schultz's detention filed Friday, prosecutors said the defendant has "every incentive to flee" to Hong Kong due to the seriousness of his charges and that it would be "practically impossible" to extradite him back to the states if he did so. An order to appoint him public defender was also filed Friday.
Office of Public Affairs | U.S. Army Intelligence Analyst Arrested and Charged with Conspiracy to Obtain and Disclose National Defense Information, Export Control Violations and Bribery | United States Department of Justice:
Korbein Schultz, a U.S. Army soldier and intelligence analyst, was arrested today at Fort Campbell following an indictment by a federal grand jury charging him with conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information, exporting technical data related to defense articles without a license, conspiracy to export defense articles without a license, and bribery of a public official.
“Mr. Schultz, a member of the U.S. Army, stands accused of conspiring to obtain and provide national defense information to an individual overseas. As part of the conspiracy, the defendant provided sensitive government information to his coconspirator in exchange for thousands of dollars, placing personal profit above the security of the American people,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Today’s arrest shows that such a betrayal does not pay — the Department of Justice is committed to identifying and holding accountable those who would break their oath to protect our nation’s secrets.”
“Protecting national defense information is absolutely critical to our country’s safety and security,” said U.S. Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee. “The unauthorized sale of such information violates our national security laws, compromises our safety, and cannot be tolerated. Today’s indictment should serve as a reminder of the Justice Department’s vigilance in protecting the United States against any threat to national security, foreign or domestic.”
“The American people rely on our military personnel and clearance holders to serve and protect U.S. interests,” said Executive Assistant Director Larissa L. Knapp of the FBI's National Security Branch. “The conduct alleged in today's indictment represents a grave betrayal of the oath sworn to defend our country. Instead of safeguarding national defense information, the defendant conspired with a foreign national to sell it, potentially endangering our national security.”
“Today’s arrest underscores the unwavering commitment of the Army Counterintelligence Command, our partners at the Department of Justice, and the broader intelligence community in safeguarding our Nation’s secrets,” said Brigadier General Rhett R. Cox, Commanding General of the Army Counterintelligence Command. “We cannot tolerate any betrayal of trust, and we remain vigilant in our mission to protect national defense information crucial to our security. We encourage all members of the Army team, past or present, to remain vigilant and report any potential suspicious activity."
The indictment alleges that from June 2022 until the time of his arrest today, Schultz conspired with an individual, identified as Conspirator A, to disclose documents, writings, plans, maps, notes, and photographs relating to national defense as well as information relating to national defense which Schultz had reason to believe could be used to injure the United States or used to the advantage of a foreign nation. Conspirator A recruited Schultz, who possessed a Top Secret security clearance, and frequently tasked him to gather documents and sensitive U.S. military information. Specifically, Conspirator A tasked Schultz with gathering information related to a variety of U.S. military weapons systems, including classified information, and information related to the United States’ potential plans in the event that Taiwan came under military attack. Some of the information that Schultz provided to Conspirator A included documents related to the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), information on hypersonic equipment, studies on the future development of U.S. military forces, studies on major countries such as the People’s Republic of China, and summaries of military drills and operations. In exchange for the documents and information, Conspirator A made at least 14 payments to Schultz that totaled approximately $42,000. Throughout the entirety of the conspiracy, Conspirator A represented to Schultz that he lived in Hong Kong and worked for a geopolitical consulting firm based overseas.
During the course of the conspiracy, Schultz also sent Conspirator A three documents that violated the Arms Export Control Act (AECA). The three documents included an Air Force Tactics Techniques and Procedures manual for the HH-60W helicopter, an Air Force Tactics Techniques and Procedures manual for the F22-A fighter aircraft, and an Air Force Tactics Techniques and Procedures manual for intercontinental ballistic missiles.
The FBI and the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Kurtzman for the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Adam Barry and Christopher Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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