Former US Army intelligence analyst sentenced for selling sensitive documents to Chinese national

A former U.S. Army intelligence analyst was sentenced to seven years in prison on Wednesday for giving sensitive military information to a person he believed was affiliated with the Chinese government.

Korbein Schultz, 25, of Wills Point, Texas, pleaded guilty in August 2024 to conspiring to collect and transmit national defense information, unlawfully exporting controlled information to China, and accepting bribes in exchange for sensitive, non-public U.S. government information.

From May 2022 until his arrest in March 2024, Schultz engaged in an ongoing conspiracy to provide dozens of sensitive U.S. military documents — many of which contained export-controlled tactical and technical information — directly to a foreign national living in the People’s Republic of China, according to court documents. 

Despite “clear indications” the person he was giving the information to was likely connected to the Chinese government, Schultz continued the relationship in exchange for about $42,000, according to officials.

 

He also attempted to recruit his friend, a fellow Army intelligence analyst, into the conspiracy. 

At the time, Schultz’s friend was assigned to the U.S. Department of Defense’s Indo-Pacific Command, the combatant command that covers China and its regional areas of influence.

Schultz and the Chinese conspirator talked about needing to recruit another person who had better access to classified material, agreeing to do so in a “nice and slow fashion,” according to court documents.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi said Schultz betrayed his oath to defend the U.S., putting America’s military and service members at risk.

“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 wrote in a statement provided by the DOJ.

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director Kash Patel added service members are a “prime target” for the People’s Republic of China.

“This sentencing is a stark warning to those who betray our country: you will pay a steep price for it,” Patel wrote in a statement. “The People’s Republic of China is relentless in its efforts to steal our national defense information, and service members are a prime target. The FBI and our partners will continue to root out espionage and hold those accountable who abandon their obligation to safeguard defense information from hostile foreign governments.”