Army Officer Pleads Guilty
Hey folks, brace yourselves because we've got a story that’s both alarming and a stark reminder of the threats to national security that are out there. This week, a U.S. Army intelligence officer, Korbein Schultz, pled guilty to a string of serious charges related to selling critical military documents to someone in Hong Kong who is believed to be connected to the Chinese government.
Schultz, just 24 years old and stationed at Fort Campbell on the Kentucky-Tennessee border, is now facing the possibility of up to 65 years in prison. The charges against him are as serious as they come—conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information, exporting technical data related to defense articles without a license, conspiracy to export defense articles without a license, and bribery of a public official. It’s a laundry list of offenses that underline just how deep this betrayal goes.
The Justice Department didn’t hold back in condemning Schultz’s actions. U.S. Attorney Henry Leventis made it clear that Schultz’s actions were a violation of his military oath and a direct compromise of national security. According to Leventis, Schultz didn’t just sell out his country; he also conspired to corrupt other members of the military, a betrayal that cuts even deeper.
The FBI echoed this sentiment, with Robert Well emphasizing that hostile governments like China are actively targeting U.S. military personnel and national security information. This case is a chilling reminder of the ongoing efforts by foreign governments to steal sensitive U.S. military secrets.
The details of Schultz’s crimes are particularly disturbing. His illegal activities began in June 2022 and continued right up until his arrest in March. During this time, he held the role of “Classified Document Custodian,” which meant he had access to highly sensitive information. And what did he do with this access?
He sold documents that included U.S. strategies for applying lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war to Taiwan, Air Force information about the HH-60 helicopter, American intelligence on the Chinese military, and details about U.S. military exercises with South Korea and the Philippines.
For all this, Schultz made around $42,000—a sum that seems paltry considering the gravity of the secrets he sold. But the consequences for Schultz are anything but small. He could face up to 10 years for conspiracy to obtain and transmit national defense information, 20 years for exporting defense data without a license, another 20 years for conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act, and 15 years for bribery.
Brigadier General Rhett Cox didn’t mince words when he addressed Schultz’s actions. Cox reminded us all of the oath that Schultz took to protect national defense information, an oath he blatantly disregarded in pursuit of personal gain. Cox emphasized the potential danger Schultz’s actions have posed, not just to national security, but to his fellow soldiers who might be placed in jeopardy because of this breach.
The investigation into Schultz was a joint effort between the FBI and the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command.