By Alexandra Koch | Fox News
A former U.S. 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 U.S. government information.
From May 2022 until his arrest in March 2024, Schultz engaged in an ongoing conspiracy to provide dozens of sensitive U.S. 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 U.S. 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 U.S. military exercises in the Republic of Korea and the Philippines.
He also provided documents concerning U.S. 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 U.S. military capabilities and planning, particularly in relation to Taiwan and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
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.
Fully aware of the national security implications, Schultz accessed restricted databases, including closed U.S. government computer networks, to download and transmit at least 92 sensitive U.S. 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 U.S. 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.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi said Schultz betrayed his oath to defend the U.S., 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.
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.”
Former U.S. Army Intelligence Analyst Sentenced for Selling Sensitive Military Information to Individual Tied to Chinese Government (DOJ, April 23, 2025)
A former U.S. Army intelligence analyst was sentenced today to 84 months in prison for conspiring to collect and transmit national defense information, including sensitive, non-public U.S. military information, to an individual 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 of sensitive, non-public U.S. government information.
“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,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “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.”
“This sentencing is a stark warning to those who betray our country: you will pay a steep price for it,” said FBI Director Kash Patel.
“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.”
“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,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. “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.”
“Protecting classified information is paramount to our national security, and this sentencing reflects the ramifications when there is a breach of that trust,” said Brigadier General Rhett R. Cox, Commanding General of the Army Counterintelligence Command.
“This Soldier’s actions put Army personnel at risk placing individual gain above personal honor. Army Counterintelligence Command, in close collaboration with the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Intelligence Community, remains steadfast in our commitment to safeguarding our nation’s secrets and urges all current and former Army personnel to report any suspicious contact immediately.”
According to court documents, between May 2022 until his arrest in March 2024, Schultz engaged in an ongoing conspiracy to provide dozens of sensitive U.S. military documents — many containing export-controlled tactical and technical information — directly to a foreign national residing in the People’s Republic of China.
Despite clear indications that this individual, who is referenced in the Indictment as Conspirator A, was likely connected to the Chinese government, the defendant continued the relationship in exchange for financial compensation. In exchange for approximately $42,000, Schultz provided documents and data related to U.S. military capabilities, including:
- His Army unit’s operational order before it was deployed to Eastern Europe in support of NATO operations;
- Lessons learned by the U.S. Army from the Ukraine/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;
- Details on U.S. military exercises in the Republic of Korea and the Philippines;
- Documents concerning U.S. military satellites and missile defense systems like the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD).
- Tactics for countering unmanned aerial systems in large-scale combat operations.
Conspirator A first contacted the defendant through a freelance web-based work platform shortly after the defendant received his Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance. Masquerading as a client from a geopolitical consulting firm, Conspirator A solicited the defendant to produce detailed analyses on U.S. military capabilities and planning, particularly in relation to Taiwan and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
As the relationship progressed, Conspirator A’s demands grew increasingly specific and sensitive — requesting technical manuals, operational procedures, and intelligence assessments.
Conspirator A made explicit his interest in materials that were not publicly available and encouraged the defendant to seek out higher levels of classification, emphasizing “exclusiveness” and “CUI and better.”
Schultz agreed to obtain higher levels of classified information for Conspirator A in exchange for money.
The defendant, fully aware of the grave national security implications, used his position and access to restricted databases — including closed U.S. government computer networks — to download and transmit at least 92 sensitive U.S. military documents.
The case also revealed attempts by the defendant to recruit his friend and fellow Army intelligence analyst into the conspiracy.
At the time, Schultz’s friend was assigned to the U.S. Department of Defense’s Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), which is the combatant command that covers China and its regional areas of influence. Schultz and Conspirator A discussed the need to recruit another person into their scheme who had better access to classified material. They agreed that such recruitment needed to be done in a “nice and slow fashion.”
The FBI’s Nashville Field Office investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command and the Department of Defense.
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 prosecuted the case.
U.S. Army Intelligence Analyst Pleads Guilty to Charges of Conspiracy to Obtain and Disclose National Defense Information, Export Control Violations and Bribery (DOJ, August 13, 2024)
Korbein Schultz, a U.S. Army soldier and intelligence analyst, pleaded guilty today to all charges against him in the indictment returned by a federal grand jury in March 2024 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.
“The defendant abused his access to restricted government systems to sell sensitive military information to a person he knew to be a foreign national,” said 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.”
“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 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,” said Brigadier General Rhett R. Cox, Commanding General of the Army Counterintelligence Command.
“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 – an enlisted intelligence analyst in the U.S. Army who held a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) security clearance – conspired with an individual who lived in Hong Kong and whom Schultz suspected of being associated with the Chinese Government (Conspirator A) 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.
Schultz entered into this conspiracy even though, as part of his official duties in the Army, he was required
(1) to protect national defense information, classified information, and controlled unclassified information (CUI);
(2) to train other members of his unit on the proper handling, storage and dissemination of classified information and information marked CUI; and
(3) to report suspicious incidents, including attempts by anyone without authorization to receive classified or sensitive information about U.S. military operations, organizations, equipment, or personnel.
During the conspiracy, Conspirator A told Schultz the specific information that Conspirator A wanted Schultz to gather and send to him, including sensitive information related to missile defense and mobile artillery systems. Before he was arrested, Schultz sent Conspirator A dozens of sensitive and restricted (but unclassified) U.S. military documents regarding a variety of U.S. military weapons systems and U.S. military tactics and strategy, including documents containing export-controlled technical data. Among the items that Schultz collected and transmitted to Conspirator A were:
(1) 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;
(2) an operations order outlining the deployment of the defendant’s unit to Eastern Europe in support of NATO operations;
(3) an Air Force Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (AFTTP) document relating to the HH-60 helicopter, which included a banner warning that the document contained technical data subject to export controls;
(4) 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;
(5) an AFTTP manual relating to the operation of Intercontinental Ballistic Missile systems, which included a banner warning that the document contained technical data subject to export controls;
(6) a publication related to the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft;
(7) a document describing modifications of the B-52 aircraft;
(8) documents describing tactics to counter unmanned aircraft systems and the use of unmanned aircraft systems in large-scale combat operations;
(9) documents relating to Chinese military tactics, the Chinese military’s preparedness, and the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force;
(10) 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;
(11) documents relating to military exercises and U.S. military forces in the Republic of Korea and the Philippines; and
(12) a document relating to U.S. military satellites.
In exchange for all of this information, Schultz was paid approximately $42,000 by Conspirator A.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Jan. 23, 2025. Schultz faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for conspiracy to obtain and transmit national defense information; 20 years in prison for exporting technical data related to defense articles to the People’s Republic of China without a license; 20 years in prison for conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR); and 15 years in prison for bribery of a public official. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI and U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command are investigating 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.
