U.S. Army intelligence analyst Corbin Schultz pleaded guilty to all charges after a grand jury indictment was issued against him in March 2024 for selling military secrets and conspiring with a foreign representative believed to be connected to the Chinese government. As reported by CNN, Schultz repeatedly sent sensitive documents about some of the most advanced military weapons to a foreign national believed to be linked to the Chinese government in exchange for a total amount of $42,000.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen from the Justice Department's National Security Division stated, "By conspiring to transfer national defense information to someone living outside the United States, this defendant jeopardized our national security while exploiting the trust our military placed in him." He added, "This guilty plea today is a stark reminder that those who betray their oath for personal gain will be identified and brought to justice."
The Department of Justice revealed Schultz's conspiracy in a press release, stating that he provided China with information regarding missile defense systems, the F-22 program, and strategic planning in Taiwan and Ukraine.
Schultz was charged with conspiring to obtain and disclose national defense information, exporting technical data related to articles on defense matters without a license, conspiring to export materials related to military affairs without a license, and bribing a public official. Schultz faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for conspiring to obtain and transfer national defense information; 20 years in prison for exporting technical data related to defense materials to the People's Republic of China without a license; 20 years in prison for conspiring to violate the Arms Export Control Act and International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR); and 15 years in prison for bribing a public official, according to the Department of Justice.
