On Tuesday, a U.S. Army lieutenant and intelligence scientist admitted to giving a foreigner suspected of having connections to the Chinese government the information that led to the sale of the country’s national security secrets.
According to a U. S. Department of Justice hit release, Sgt. For a total of$ 42,000, Korbein Schultz admitted to selling national defense information. According to Schultz, he allegedly obtained and shared national defense information with a foreigner using his Major Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information Protection certification from the US Army.
According to the press release from Tuesday, Schultz had previously been accused of” conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information, exporting technical information related to protection articles without a permit, conspiracy to export security articles without a permit, conspiracy to export security articles without a permit, and corruption of a public official.”
According to Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Schultz” badly put our national security at risk to cash in on the respect our military placed in him” by using his access to restricted federal systems and conspiring to convey national safety strategies to a foreign national. According to Olsen,” Tomorrow’s guilty plea is a stark reminder that those who would swear an oath for personal gain may be identified and brought to justice.”
According to Henry C. Leventis, the U.S. attorney, Schultz” conspired to crooked various members of our military” and” conspired to sell national defense information to a foreigner. According to Leventis, Schulz harmed the safety of the United States by violating both his military training and his vow.
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According to the media release from Tuesday, Schultz sold federal safety information to a Hong Kong resident who is thought to have had contacts with the Chinese government.
Schultz received$ 42, 000 in exchange for classified information and sensitive martial documents, according to the media release. Some of the files shared with the international national include information on the Chinese government’s preparation, the F-22A plane, the HH-40 aircraft, and HIMARS rockets.
” The defendant has admitted guilt in a case that should send a strong , message to any U. S. service members , thinking about betraying their country”, Robert Wells, executive assistant director of the FBI’s National Security Branch, said. ” The U. S. is governed by the rule of law and when persons placed in a position of trust violate that trust, the FBI and our partners will hold them , accountable.”
According to Wells,” Governments like China are aggressively pursuing our military personnel and national security information, and we will do everything in our power to protect that information from hostile foreign governments.”
If all of the charges against Schultz are proven to be met with the maximum penalties, he could face up to 65 years in prison. Schultz is currently scheduled to be sentenced in January.
