U.S. Army Soldier Pleads Guilty to Selling National Defense Secrets to Foreign National

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Korbein Schultz, a U.S. Army soldier and intelligence analyst, pleaded guilty today to charges including conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information, exporting technical data without a license, and bribery of a public official. Schultz, 42, was indicted in March 2024 by a federal grand jury.

According to court documents, Schultz used his access to classified government systems to sell sensitive military information to a person he suspected to be connected to the Chinese government. Over the course of the conspiracy, Schultz provided this foreign national with numerous sensitive U.S. military documents, including data on missile defense, mobile artillery systems, and military tactics. In return, Schultz received approximately $42,000.

“Schultz’s actions put national security at risk for personal gain,” stated Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

Schultz faces a sentencing hearing on January 23, 2025, where he could receive up to 20 years in prison for each of the most serious charges.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command.

Green and White Line IllustrationPhoto byMarkus Spiske