NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A Fort Campbell soldier accused of selling U.S. military secrets to China pleaded guilty Tuesday to all the charges he faced from a federal grand jury indictment in March.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) said U.S. Army Sgt. Korbein Schultz—an enlisted intelligence analyst who held a Top Secret//Sensitive Compartmented Information security clearance—entered a guilty plea on Tuesday, Aug. 13, to 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.
“This defendant sold national defense information to a foreign actor and conspired to corrupt other members of our military,” said U.S. Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee. “In doing so, he violated his training and his oath as a member of the armed services and he compromised our national security. Today’s guilty plea to all of the charges in the indictment ensures that he will be held fully accountable for his crimes.”
“The defendant abused his access to restricted government systems to sell sensitive military information to a person he knew to be a foreign national,” stated Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “By conspiring to transmit national defense information to a person living outside the United States, this defendant callously put our national security at risk to cash in on the trust our military placed in him. Today’s guilty plea is a stark reminder that those who would betray their sworn oath for personal gain will be identified and brought to justice.”
“The defendant has admitted guilt in a case that should send a strong message to any U.S. service members thinking about betraying their country,” said Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “The U.S. is governed by the rule of law and when persons, placed in a position of trust violate that trust, the FBI and our partners will hold them accountable. Governments like China are aggressively targeting our military personnel and national security information and we will do everything in our power to ensure that information is safeguarded from hostile foreign governments.”
“This Soldier swore an oath to faithfully discharge his duties, to include protecting national defense information. Not only did he fail in his sworn duty, but he placed personal gain above his duty to our country and disclosed information that could give advantage to a foreign nation, putting his fellow Soldiers in jeopardy,” Brig. Gen. Rhett R. Cox, commanding general of the Army Counterintelligence Command, said. “Army Counterintelligence Command, with our partners at the FBI, Department of Justice, and the greater intelligence community, will ruthlessly pursue those who commit acts such as these. Let this case serve as a warning: if any member of the Army, past or present, is asked for classified or sensitive information, they should report it to the appropriate authorities within 24 hours or be held fully accountable for their inaction.”
According to charging and plea documents, Schultz conspired with someone who lived in Hong Kong and who Schultz suspected of being associated with the Chinese government to collect national defense information—including classified information and export-controlled technical data related to U.S. military weapons systems—and to transmit that information to Conspirator A in exchange for money.
Officials said Schultz entered into this conspiracy even though, as part of his official Army duties, he was required to protect national defense information, classified information, and controlled unclassified information (CUI); train other members of his unit on the proper handling, storage, and dissemination of classified information and information marked CUI; and report suspicious incidents, including attempts by unauthorized individuals to receive classified or sensitive information about U.S. military operations, organizations, equipment, or personnel.
The DOJ said Conspirator A told Schultz the specific information he wanted Schultz to gather and send to him, including sensitive information related to missile defense and mobile artillery systems. Prior to his arrest in March, Schultz allegedly sent Conspirator A dozens of sensitive and restricted — but unclassified — U.S. military documents about various U.S. weapons systems, tactics, and strategies, including documents with export-controlled technical data.
Authorities reported Schultz was paid approximately $42,000 by Conspirator A for the information he provided, including the following items that he collected and transmitted to Conspirator A:
- A document discussing the lessons learned by the U.S. Army from the Ukraine/Russia war that it would apply in a defense of Taiwan
- An operations order outlining the deployment of Schultz’s unit to Eastern Europe in support of NATO operations
- An Air Force Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (AFTTP) document relating to the HH-60 helicopter, which featured a banner warning that the document contained technical data subject to export controls
- An AFTTP manual relating to the F-22A fighter aircraft, which included a banner warning that the document contained technical data subject to export controls
- An AFTTP manual relating to the operation of Intercontinental Ballistic Missile systems, which featured a banner warning that the document contained technical data subject to export controls
- A publication related to the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft
- A document describing modifications of the B-52 aircraft
- Documents describing tactics to counter unmanned aircraft systems and the use of unmanned aircraft systems in large-scale combat operations
- Documents relating to Chinese military tactics, the Chinese military’s preparedness, and the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force
- Documents relating to rocket, missile, and artillery weapons systems, including the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System and the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile defense system
- Documents relating to military exercises and U.S. military forces in the Republic of Korea and the Philippines
- A document relating to U.S. military satellites
Schultz’s sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 23, 2025. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for conspiracy to obtain and transmit national defense information, 20 years for exporting technical data related to defense articles to China without a license, 20 years for conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, and 15 years for bribery of a public official.