Former US Army intelligence analyst sentenced for selling sensitive documents to Chinese national
A former US Army intelligence analyst was sentenced to seven years in prison on Wednesday for giving sensitive military information to a person he believed was affiliated with the Chinese government.
Korbein Schultz, 25, of Wills Point, Texas, pleaded guilty in August 2024 to conspiring to collect and transmit national defense information, unlawfully exporting controlled information to China, and accepting bribes in exchange for sensitive, non-public US government information.
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From May 2022 until his arrest in March 2024, Schultz engaged in an ongoing conspiracy to provide dozens of sensitive US military documents — many of which contained export-controlled tactical and technical information — directly to a foreign national living in the People's Republic of China, according to court documents.
Despite 'clear indications' the person he was giving the information to was likely connected to the Chinese government, Schultz continued the relationship in exchange for about $42,000, according to officials.
Schultz pleaded guilty to giving the person in China his Army unit's operational order before it was deployed to Eastern Europe in support of NATO operations; lessons learned by the US Army from the Ukraine and Russia conflict, applicable to Taiwan's defense; technical manuals for the HH-60 helicopter, F-22A fighter aircraft, and Intercontinental Ballistic Missile systems; information on Chinese military tactics and the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force; and details on US military exercises in the Republic of Korea and the Philippines.
4 Korbein Schultz pleaded guilty to conspiring to collect and transmit national defense information, unlawfully exporting controlled information to China, and accepting bribes in exchange for sensitive, non-public US government information.
Sgt. Ryan Rayno, 181st Multifunctional Training Brigade
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He also provided documents concerning US military satellites and missile defense systems like the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, and tactics for countering unmanned aerial systems in large-scale combat operations.
The person Schultz gave information to in China first contacted him through a freelance web-based work platform shortly after Schultz received his Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information clearance, according to court documents.
They allegedly posed as a client from a geopolitical consulting firm, soliciting Schultz to provide detailed analyses on US military capabilities and planning, particularly in relation to Taiwan and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
4 Tanks from the People's Liberation Army roll through Tiananmen Square during a parade marking the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China on Oct. 1, 2009.
REUTERS
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As the relationship progressed, the Chinese national's demands grew increasingly specific and sensitive — requesting technical manuals, operational procedures and intelligence assessments.
The conspirator made it clear that he was interested in receiving materials that were not publicly available and encouraged Schultz to seek out higher levels of classification, emphasizing 'exclusiveness' and 'CUI and better,' according to court documents.
Schultz agreed to send higher levels of classified information to the Chinese man in exchange for money.
4 Chinese flags on display at the Yangshan Port outside Shanghai, China on Feb. 7, 2025.
REUTERS
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Fully aware of the national security implications, Schultz accessed restricted databases, including closed US government computer networks, to download and transmit at least 92 sensitive US military documents, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
He also attempted to recruit his friend, a fellow Army intelligence analyst, into the conspiracy.
At the time, Schultz's friend was assigned to the US Department of Defense's Indo-Pacific Command, the combatant command that covers China and its regional areas of influence.
Schultz and the Chinese conspirator talked about needing to recruit another person who had better access to classified material, agreeing to do so in a 'nice and slow fashion,' according to court documents.
4 A US and Chinese flags are stitched together in an illustration on Jan. 8 2025.
REUTERS
Attorney General Pamela Bondi said Schultz betrayed his oath to defend the US, putting America's military and service members at risk.
'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 wrote in a statement provided by the DOJ.
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Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director Kash Patel added service members are a 'prime target' for the People's Republic of China.
'This sentencing is a stark warning to those who betray our country: you will pay a steep price for it,' Patel wrote in a statement. '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.'
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