Nashville, TN (DMN) – A soldier in the Army has admitted to selling classified information concerning various aspects of U.S. military capabilities, such as rocket systems and Chinese military tactics.
Sgt. Korbein Schultz, an intelligence analyst, pleaded guilty on Tuesday in federal court in Nashville. Initially, he entered a plea of not guilty, but later on, he decided to request a hearing to change his plea.
According to prosecutors, Shultz received a total of 14 payments amounting to $42,000.
Schultz faces a six-count indictment that includes charges of conspiring to obtain and disclose military defense information, as well as bribery of a public official. A 24-year-old individual was apprehended in March at Fort Campbell, located on the Tennessee-Kentucky border, shortly after the indictment was made public.
The defendant has admitted guilt for all charges and is scheduled to be sentenced on January 23, 2025. The federal public defender representing Schultz declined to provide any comments on Tuesday.
“Let this case serve as a warning: if any member of the Army, past or present, is asked for classified or sensitive information, they should report it to the appropriate authorities within 24 hours or be held fully accountable for their inaction,” Brigadier General Rhett R. Cox, Commanding General of the Army Counterintelligence Command, said in a news release.
An indictment has been made against Schultz, who held a top-secret security clearance. It is alleged that Schultz conspired with an individual referred to as “Conspirator A” to disclose a range of documents, photographs, and other national defense materials starting from June 2022.
According to the indictment, Schultz was recruited by the individual not only because of his security clearance, but also because he had the responsibility of collecting sensitive U.S. military information.
According to reports, Schultz allegedly shared a range of sensitive information with an individual. This information reportedly covered various weapons systems, including rocket, missile, and artillery systems such as the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System.
It also included details on hypersonic equipment, counter-drone tactics, U.S. military satellites, and studies on future developments of U.S. military forces. Additionally, the information reportedly encompassed studies on military drills and operations in major countries like China.
The indictment stated that Schultz was initially requested to provide documents outlining the insights gained from Russia’s conflict with Ukraine and their potential application to assist Taiwan in the event of an attack. Schultz received a payment of $200 for that information, which led Conspirator A to express interest in establishing a “long-term partnership.”
According to the indictment, Conspirator A, who claimed to be a foreign national residing in Hong Kong, later proposed that Schultz could increase his earnings by providing “internal only” material instead of unclassified documents.
Source: NBC News