An ex-U.S. Army intelligence analyst was handed a seven-year prison sentence for sharing confidential military data with an individual he thought had ties to the Chinese government.
Korbein Schultz, a 25-year-old resident of Wills Point, Texas, admitted guilt in August 2024 for the charges of conspiring to gather and transmit national defense details, illegally sending controlled data to China, and accepting kickbacks in return for undisclosed U.S. government intel.
Schultz was involved in a scheme from May 2022 until his apprehension in March 2024, where he passed numerous classified U.S. military files — many including restricted tactical and technological knowledge — directly to a foreign citizen residing in the People’s Republic of China, as per legal records.Â
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.
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The soldier attempted to recruit a fellow U.S. Army analyst, according to officials. (Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
He also attempted to recruit his friend, a fellow Army intelligence analyst, into the conspiracy.Â
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.”
