U.S. Army Intelligence Analyst Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Obtain and Disclose National Defense Information
Sgt. Korbein Shultz pleaded guilty on Aug. 13 to multiple charges related to selling U.S. defense secrets to China. Photo by U.S. Army.
This Jason Bourne wannabe, Sergeant Korbein Schultz, 25, a U.S. Army intelligence analyst at Campbell, pleaded guilty on Aug. 13th to all charges concerning spying and selling military secrets to China, according to a DOJ press release.
Indicted in March, Schultz was charged with six counts related to conspiracy, espionage, and bribery of a public official, according to the indictment.
Schultz held a Top Secret security clearance for his work in the military, including protecting classified national defense information and reporting “attempts by anyone without authorization to receive classified or sensitive information,” stated the DOJ press release.
Instead, Schultz conspired with a person referred to in court documents as Contributor A, whom Schultz believed to be associated with the Chinese Government, to trade U.S. military secrets in exchange for money, the DOJ press release says.
Schultz’s relationship with Contributor A lasted for multiple years, with Schultz exploiting his access to military defense information for financial gain, according to the indictment.
Correspondence between Schultz and Contributor A began around June 7, 2022, when Contributor A asked for information about Schultz’s enlistment in the U.S. Army, as detailed in the indictment. On June 25th of that year, Contributor A asked Schultz for details on the lessons the U.S. learned from the Ukrainian war and how those lessons could be applied to defending Taiwan. Around July 6th, Schultz provided the information requested and received $200.
Two days after this encounter, Schultz told Contributor A that “he would like to turn their relationship into a long-term partnership.”
While establishing their relationship, Conbrituor A asked for information on HIMARS artillery weapon systems and informed Schultz that “internal-only” material passed in a secure manner would get Schultz more money than “unclassified” documents, according to the indictment. They also described their online money exchanges as being related to customizing a car, and Schultz said that he “wished he could be ‘Jason Bourne.’”
Over the next few years, Schultz provided Contributor A with secret information, including:
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- U.S. Navy exercises
- HH-60W helicopter
- F-22A fighter aircraft
- Intercontinental ballistic missiles
- U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft
- THAAD aerial missile defense system
- Military satellites
- U.S. forces in Korea
- B-52 aircraft
Schultz continued sharing military secrets until October 2023, receiving around 14 payments to total about $42,000, per the indictment.
Schultz violated the Arms Export Control Act when he sent the Air Force Tactics Techniques and Procedures manuals for the HH-60W helicopter, the F22-A fighter aircraft, and the intercontinental ballistic missiles, according to the initial DOJ press release in March.
Shultz’s sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 23, 2025, and he could get a maximum of a combined 65 years in prison, according to the most recent DOJ press release.
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