TENNESSEE
A former U.S. Army intelligence analyst was sentenced to seven years in prison for conspiring to share sensitive U.S. military information with someone he believed was connected to the Chinese government.
Korbein Schultz, 25, of Wills Point, Texas, pleaded guilty in August 2024 to conspiring to transmit national defense information, unlawfully exporting controlled data to China, and accepting bribes in exchange for non-public government material.
“Protecting classified information is paramount to our national security, and this sentencing reflects the ramifications when there is a breach of that trust,” said Brigadier General Rhett R. Cox, Commanding General of the Army Counterintelligence Command. “This Soldier’s actions put Army personnel at risk placing individual gain above personal honor. Army Counterintelligence Command, in close collaboration with the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Intelligence Community, remains steadfast in our commitment to safeguarding our nation’s secrets and urges all current and former Army personnel to report any suspicious contact immediately.”
Between May 2022 and March 2024, former Army intelligence analyst Korbein Schultz conspired to pass dozens of sensitive U.S. military documents to a foreign national in China, despite signs the individual, referred to as “Conspirator A,” was linked to the Chinese government.
Schultz, who held a Top Secret/SCI clearance, initiated the relationship after being contacted on a freelance platform by Conspirator A, who posed as a geopolitical consultant. Over time, he was paid roughly $42,000 in exchange for sensitive material, including:
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His Army unit’s operational plans for NATO deployment in Eastern Europe
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U.S. Army lessons from the Ukraine war are relevant to Taiwan
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Technical manuals for the HH-60 helicopter, F-22A jet, and ICBM systems
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Details on Chinese military tactics and the PLA Rocket Force
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Information on U.S. military exercises in Korea and the Philippines
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Data on U.S. satellites, HIMARS, THAAD, and drone countermeasures
Conspirator A urged Schultz to pursue increasingly classified materials, prioritizing exclusivity and sensitive content labeled “CUI and better.” Schultz ultimately downloaded and transmitted at least 92 documents using secure U.S. government networks.
The investigation also revealed that Schultz attempted to recruit a fellow Army intelligence analyst at the U.S. Department of Defense’s Indo-Pacific Command to expand the scheme.
The FBI’s Nashville Field Office, U.S. Army Counterintelligence, and the Department of Defense investigated the case.
Prosecutors included Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Kurtzman and DOJ National Security Division attorneys Adam Barry and Christopher Cook.