Federal prosecutors have arrested and charged a U.S. Army intelligence analyst who allegedly sold classified military information to a contact in China for more than a year.
Sgt. Korbein Schultz was taken into custody at Fort Campbell on the Kentucky–Tennessee border Thursday after a federal grand jury indicted him on six charges, including conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information and bribery of a public official.
According to the indictment, from June 2022 until his arrest, the 24-year-old used his top-secret security clearance to gather blueprints, maps and plans related to the U.S. military's defense systems, later sending the documents to a purported Hong Kong-based geopolitical consultant, identified as Conspirator A in the court filing, in exchange for $42,000.
Prosecutors allege Conspirator A specifically requested Schultz send information about how the Russia-Ukraine war had shaped U.S. plans in defending Taiwan should it come under attack as well as data pertaining to artillery weapon and missile systems, summaries of military operations, hypersonic equipment information, military satellite data and studies on major countries, including China.
Court documents state Schultz said he'd continue sending "an abundance of information" to the conspirator, who allegedly told the soldier he would be sent more money for documents that were higher classified. In the case of one classified document potentially lending to a higher payout, Schultz allegedly responded to Conspirator A saying, "I hope so! I need to get my other BMW back!"
Schultz, whose duties with the Army included training colleagues on the proper handling and dissemination of classified information, once allegedly told Conspirator A that he wanted to be "Jason Bourne," referring to the fictional CIA assassin in the film franchise of the same name.
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"Today's arrest shows that such a betrayal does not pay — the Department of Justice is committed to identifying and holding accountable those who would break their oath to protect our nation's secrets," said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department's National Security Division.
Just this week, two other U.S. military employees faced charges related to their leaking of classified security documents. On Monday, Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira pleaded guilty to posting sensitive intelligence information on Discord, and on the same day, a U.S. Air Force employee was charged with transmitting classified information about the Russia-Ukraine war on foreign dating site.
"We cannot tolerate any betrayal of trust, and we remain vigilant in our mission to protect national defense information crucial to our security," said Brig. Gen. Rhett R. Cox, commanding general of the Army Counterintelligence Command. "We encourage all members of the Army team, past or present, to remain vigilant and report any potential suspicious activity."
In a motion for Schultz's detention filed Friday, prosecutors said the defendant has "every incentive to flee" to Hong Kong due to the seriousness of his charges and that it would be "practically impossible" to extradite him back to the states if he did so. An order to appoint him public defender was also filed Friday.
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