A US Army analyst, Sgt Korbein Schultz has pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring to sell military secrets to China, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Arrested in March, Sgt Schultz was accused of receiving $42,000 (£33,000) in exchange for numerous sensitive security records. The criminal conspiracy, which began in June 2022, lasted until his arrest.
Scheduled for sentencing in January, Sgt Schultz held a security clearance for top secret information and conspired to gather data for someone he believed was based in Hong Kong. This individual requested sensitive information on missile defense, mobile artillery systems, US fighter aircraft, military tactics, and the US military’s defense strategy for Taiwan, drawing insights from Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen from the DOJ’s National Security Division stated that Sgt Schultz jeopardized national security for personal gain, betraying the trust placed in him by the military. Sgt Schultz pleaded guilty to all charges, including conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information and bribery of a public official.
Court documents revealed messages between Sgt Schultz and the supposed Hong Kong resident, referred to as Conspirator A. In one message, Sgt Schultz expressed a wish to emulate the fictional spy Jason Bourne. Another message, after being promised more money, included a remark about needing to retrieve his other BMW.
The FBI and US Army Counterintelligence Command are continuing their investigation into the case.
Nneoma Udensi
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