A former U.S. Army intelligence analyst, KORBEIN SCHULTZ, 25, of Wills Point, Texas, was sentenced to seven years in prison on Wednesday for conspiring to provide sensitive military information to an individual he believed was affiliated with the Chinese government. Schultz pleaded guilty in August 2024 to charges including conspiring to collect and transmit national defense information, unlawfully exporting controlled information to China, and accepting bribes in exchange for classified U.S. government data.
From May 2022 until his arrest in March 2024, Schultz engaged in a prolonged conspiracy to provide dozens of sensitive U.S. military documents to a foreign national residing in the People’s Republic of China. These documents included export-controlled tactical and technical information, according to court filings. Despite clear indications that the recipient was likely connected to the Chinese government, Schultz continued the relationship in exchange for approximately $42,000.
Schultz admitted to providing his Army unit’s operational order before its deployment to Eastern Europe in support of NATO operations. He also shared lessons learned from the Ukraine-Russia conflict, applicable to Taiwan’s defense, and technical manuals for the HH-60 helicopter, F-22A fighter aircraft, and Intercontinental Ballistic Missile systems. Additionally, he disclosed information on Chinese military tactics, the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, and details on U.S. military exercises in the Republic of Korea and the Philippines.
The documents Schultz provided also included data on U.S. military satellites, missile defense systems such as the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), and tactics for countering unmanned aerial systems in large-scale combat operations.
The Chinese national first contacted Schultz through a freelance web-based work platform shortly after Schultz received his Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance. Posing as a client from a geopolitical consulting firm, the individual solicited Schultz to provide detailed analyses on U.S. military capabilities and planning, particularly concerning Taiwan and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
As the relationship progressed, the demands grew increasingly specific and sensitive, with requests for technical manuals, operational procedures, and intelligence assessments. The conspirator emphasized the need for exclusive, non-public materials and encouraged Schultz to seek higher levels of classification. Schultz accessed restricted databases, including closed U.S. government computer networks, to download and transmit at least 92 sensitive military documents, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Schultz also attempted to recruit a fellow Army intelligence analyst, who was assigned to the U.S. Department of Defense’s Indo-Pacific Command, into the conspiracy. The two discussed the need to recruit someone with better access to classified material, agreeing to proceed cautiously.
ATTORNEY GENERAL PAMELA BONDI condemned Schultz’s actions, stating that he betrayed his oath to defend the U.S. and endangered America’s military and service members. “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 said in a statement.
FBI DIRECTOR KASH PATEL echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that service members are prime targets for Chinese espionage. “This sentencing is a stark warning to those who betray our country: you will pay a steep price for it,” Patel stated. “The People’s Republic of China is relentless in its efforts to steal our national defense information, and the FBI and our partners will continue to root out espionage and hold those accountable.”
For more details, visit the [Department of Justice](https://www.justice.gov) and [FBI](https://www.fbi.gov) websites.