US Army Analyst Arrested for Selling Defense Secrets to China

Defense News ,U.S :-  A member of the US Army, Sergeant Korbein Schultz, got arrested last Thursday for allegedly giving important information about national defense to China.

Schultz, who had a high-level security clearance, was taken into custody at Fort Campbell, a military base on the Kentucky-Tennessee border, according to the Justice Department.

Though the official statement did not mention the country Schultz was providing information to, news reports identified it as China.

The indictment revealed that Schultz had been sharing documents, maps, and photos related to US national defense with a contact in Hong Kong since June 2022. In return, he allegedly received a total of $42,000.

The shared information included details about potential US plans in case of a military threat to Taiwan. It also covered documents on fighter aircraft, helicopters, hypersonic equipment, the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), and studies about both US and Chinese military.

When asked about Schultz's arrest and another case involving a Chinese software engineer accused of stealing artificial intelligence technology from Google, Beijing stated they were not aware of the specific circumstances. However, they emphasized China's commitment to protecting intellectual property rights and opposed any misuse of national power by the US against Chinese enterprises and citizens.

Schultz's arrest follows the recent apprehension of two US Navy sailors in California on charges of spying for China. Petty officer Wenheng Zhao was sentenced to 27 months in prison in January after admitting guilt to conspiring with a foreign intelligence officer and accepting a bribe. Zhao and another US sailor, Jinchao Wei, were arrested in August.