Washington: A member of the US Army’s intelligence division was arrested on Thursday for purportedly divulging national defense data to China. According to officials from the Justice Department, an Army serviceman has been detained on charges of trading sensitive information regarding US military capabilities.
Sergeant Korbein Schultz, an intelligence analyst, faces a six-count indictment, including allegations of conspiring to acquire and disclose military defense information and bribery of a public official. The 24-year-old was apprehended at Fort Campbell, situated on the Tennessee-Kentucky border, shortly after the indictment was unsealed on Thursday.
“The men and women of the United States Armed Forces dedicate their lives to maintain our national security”, Henry C. Leventis, US attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, told reporters.
Additionally, he said, “Our laws protecting national defense information are critical to that mission, and they must be enforced. Illegal dissemination of national defense information puts our country, our fellow citizens, members of our military and our allies at risk.”
What Happened as per the Indictment
According to the indictment, Sergeant Korbein Schultz, holding a top-secret security clearance, purportedly conspired with an individual referred to as “Conspirator A” to disclose multiple documents, photographs, and other national defense materials starting from June 2022. The indictment asserts that Schultz was recruited by this individual not solely for his security clearance but also because of his role in collecting sensitive US military intelligence.
Allegedly, Schultz provided the individual with various pieces of information, including details concerning the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, hypersonic equipment, studies on future developments within the US military forces, as well as analyses on military exercises and operations in significant nations such as China.
Related video: Ft. Campbell Soldier Accused of Spying for China (WATE Knoxville)
Ft. Campbell Soldier Accused of Spying for China
The indictment outlines that Schultz was initially tasked with providing documents outlining the lessons gleaned from Russia’s conflict with Ukraine and their potential application to US assistance to Taiwan in the event of an attack. Schultz received $200 for this information, which subsequently led Conspirator A to propose a “long-term partnership.”
Conspirator A, who was described in the indictment as a foreign national purporting to reside in Hong Kong, later suggested that Schultz could earn more money if he handed over “internal only” material rather than unclassified documents.
In total, Shultz received at least 14 payments totaling $42,000.
“The defendant and his co-conspirator also discussed recruiting another member of the US military to join their conspiracy and to provide additional national defense information in order to conceal their illegal conduct,” Leventis said.
Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Ruth Castro said in a statement that Schultz has been in the Army since November 2018 and his hometown is Wills Point, Texas.
