Former Fort Campbell soldier accused of selling information to China sentenced
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (WKRN) — A former Fort Campbell soldier has been sentenced to prison in connection with allegations of selling sensitive military information to China.
Last year, the DOJ reported that Korbein Schultz pleaded guilty to a number of charges — including 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. On Wednesday, the DOJ announced that Schultz was sentenced 84 months in prison for those charges.
MARCH 2024 | Fort Campbell soldier accused of selling information to China appears in Nashville court
'This sentencing is a stark warning to those who betray our country: you will pay a steep price for it,' FBI Director Kash Patel said in the announcement. 'The People's Republic of China is relentless in its efforts to steal our national defense information, and service members are a prime target.'
Court documents revealed that between May 2022 and March 2024, Schultz engaged in an ongoing conspiracy to provide someone 'likely connected to the Chinese government' with dozens of sensitive U.S. military documents in exchange for about $42,000. The DOJ said that Schultz was 'fully aware of the grave national security implications' of downloading and transmitting at least 92 documents, which included information like:
Technical manuals for Intercontinental Ballistic Missile systems and fighter aircraft, including the F-22A and the HH-60 helicopter
Lessons learned from the conflict in Ukraine and Russia applicable to Taiwan's defense
Details about U.S. military exercises in the Republic of Korea and the Philippines
Documents about U.S. military satellites and missile defense systems
Schultz's Army unit's operational order before the unit was deployed to Eastern Europe in support of NATO operations
Information on Chinese military tactics and the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force
Tactics for countering unmanned aerial systems in large-scale combat scenarios
ORIGINAL STORY | Fort Campbell soldier accused of selling military secrets to China
As the conspiracy continued, the individual's demands reportedly became more specific and sensitive — with additional requests for technical manuals, intelligence assessments and operational procedures. The individual, described by the DOJ as a foreign national residing in China, was explicitly interested in materials not publicly available, emphasizing 'exclusiveness.' Schultz allegedly agreed to obtain higher levels of classified information in exchange for money.
'This defendant swore an oath to defend the United States — instead, he betrayed it for a payout and put America's military and service members at risk,' Attorney General Pamela Bondi said. '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.'
The DOJ added that Schultz allegedly tried to recruit his friend and fellow Army analyst, who was working with the combatant command that covers China and its regional areas of influence, into the conspiracy.
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'Protecting classified information is paramount to our national security, and this sentencing reflects the ramifications when there is a breach of that trust,' Brig. Gen. Rhett R. Cox, commanding general of the Army Counterintelligence Command, said. 'This Soldier's actions put Army personnel at risk placing individual gain above personal honor.'
'Those who collaborate with America's foreign adversaries put our country, and those who defend it, at grave risk and we will do whatever it takes to hold them accountable for their crimes,' acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee said. 'We will proudly stand in support of our men and women in uniform and work diligently to protect them from people like the defendant who would sell them out for a few bucks.'
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