Ex-Army Intelligence Analyst Receives Sentence After Selling Information

Korbein Schultz, a former Army intelligence analyst, faces a seven-year prison sentence for divulging sensitive military secrets to a Chinese conspirator.

Quick Takes

Former Army analyst Korbein Schultz has been sentenced to prison for sharing classified US military information with China.
Schultz pleaded guilty to conspiracy, unauthorized data export, and accepting bribes.
Over 92 sensitive documents were shared, including defense strategies related to Ukraine and Taiwan.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi says the Justice Department “remains vigilant” against espionage efforts from China.

Background of the Espionage Case

Korbein Schultz, aged 25, worked as an intelligence analyst in the US Army before his arrest in March 2024 at Fort Campbell on the Kentucky-Tennessee border. Schultz confessed in August 2024, to conspiring to collect and transmit national defense information, unlawfully exporting this data to China, and receiving approximately $42,000 in bribes for the secrets. He pleaded guilty to sharing at least 92 sensitive military documents, making him a key figure in a significant breach of military security.

The arrest follows similar detentions of two US Navy sailors in California on related espionage charges. Schultz’s conspirator, living in Hong Kong and working for a geopolitical consulting firm, was believed to have ties to the Chinese government. Contacted through a freelance platform post obtaining Top Secret clearance, Schultz reportedly received increasingly specific requests from the Chinese side, seeking non-public materials of higher classification levels.

US soldier jailed for selling defence secrets to China https://t.co/234rucSNYm

— The Straits Times (@straits_times) April 23, 2025

Impact and Consequences

The classified documents provided by Schultz covered US military tactics, strategy, and insights gleaned from the Ukraine-Russia war, crucial for Taiwan’s defense. Other documents included intelligence on Chinese military maneuvers and crucial insights into US military activities in South Korea and the Philippines.

“Protecting classified information is paramount to our national security, and this sentencing reflects the ramifications when there is a breach of that trust,” Brig. Gen. Rhett R. Cox said of the case.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel have both emphasized the seriousness of Schultz’s crimes. “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.

Meanwhile, Patel slammed China over its “efforts to steal our national defense information” and said, “This sentencing is a stark warning to those who betray our country: you will pay a steep price for it.”