Current:Home > MarketsUS Army soldier indicted, accused of selling sensitive military information -TradeCircle
US Army soldier indicted, accused of selling sensitive military information
View
Date:2025-04-17 19:25:01
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — An Army soldier has been arrested on accusations of selling sensitive information related to U.S. military capabilities, Justice Department officials said Thursday.
Korbein Schultz, who is also an intelligence analyst, was accused in a six-count indictment of charges including conspiring to obtain and disclose military defense information and bribery of a public official. He was arrested at Fort Campbell, which straddles the Tennessee-Kentucky border, shortly after the indictment was released Thursday.
“The men and women of the United States Armed Forces dedicate their lives to maintain our national security,” Henry C. Leventis, U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, told reporters. “Our laws protecting national defense information are critical to that mission, and they must be enforced. Illegal dissemination of national defense information puts our country, our fellow citizens, members of our military and our allies at risk.”
According to the indictment, Schultz — who had a top-secret security clearance — allegedly conspired with an individual identified only as “Conspirator A” to disclose various documents, photographs and other national defense materials since June 2022. The indictment claims that Schultz was recruited by the individual not only due to his security clearance but also because he was tasked with gathering sensitive U.S. military information.
Some of the information that Schultz supposedly gave to the individual included information related to the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, hypersonic equipment, studies on future developments of U.S. military forces and studies on military drills and operations in major countries like China.
The indictment outlines that Schultz was initially asked to provide documents detailing lessons that could be learned from Russia’s war with Ukraine and how those lessons could be applied to the U.S. helping Taiwan in the event of an attack. Schultz was paid $200 for that information, which then prompted Conspirator A, to ask for a “long-term partnership.”
Conspirator A, who was described in the indictment as a foreign national purporting to reside in Hong Kong, later suggested that Schultz could earn more money if he handed over “internal only” material rather than unclassified documents.
In total, Shultz received at least 14 payments totaling $42,000.
“The defendant and his co-conspirator also discussed recruiting another member of the U.S. military to join their conspiracy and to provide additional national defense information in order to conceal their illegal conduct,” Leventis said.
The case is the latest in a series of federal prosecutions of current or former military members accused of illegally disclosing sensitive government secrets.
For instance in April 2023, Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira was charged with leaking highly classified military documents about Russia’s war in Ukraine on Discord, a social media platform popular with people playing online games. He pleaded guilty on Monday in a deal with prosecutors that calls for him to serve at least 11 years in prison.
In August, two U.S. Navy sailors were charged with providing sensitive military information to China — including details on wartime exercises, naval operations and critical technical material.
And more recently, the Justice Department announced charges this week against a civilian Air Force employee and retired Army lieutenant colonel for allegedly sharing classified information about the war in with Ukraine on a foreign dating site.
___
Associated Press writer Eric Tucker in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.
veryGood! (8454)
Related
- Scoot flight from Singapore to Wuhan turns back after 'technical issue' detected
- What will win at the Oscars? AP’s film writers set their predictions
- NYC’s plan to ease gridlock and pump billions into mass transit? A $15 toll for Manhattan drivers
- This ‘Love is Blind’ contestant's shocked reaction to his fiancée went viral. Can attraction grow?
- 'Squid Game' without subtitles? Duolingo, Netflix encourage fans to learn Korean
- Cristiano Ronaldo suspended for one match over alleged offensive gesture in Saudi league game
- Rock legend Rod Stewart on recording some oldies-but-goodies
- 100-year-old Oklahoma woman celebrates 25th birthday on Leap Day
- 'Most Whopper
- We may be living in the golden age of older filmmakers. This year’s Oscars are evidence
Ranking
- Taylor Swift Eras Archive site launches on singer's 35th birthday. What is it?
- Digital outlets The Intercept, Raw Story and AlterNet sue OpenAI for unauthorized use of journalism
- House fire that left 5 children dead in Arizona doesn’t appear to be arson, authorities say
- What we know about 'Only Murders in the Building' Season 4
- Tom Holland's New Venture Revealed
- Virginia lawmakers again decline to put restrictions on personal use of campaign accounts
- Cowboys owner Jerry Jones ordered to take DNA test in paternity case
- Parent company of Outback Steakhouse, other popular restaurants plans to close 41 locations
Recommendation
Warm inflation data keep S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq under wraps before Fed meeting next week
How Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne Feel About Kelly Osbourne Changing Son Sidney's Last Name
Former UGA student's slaying prompts fierce national debate on immigration
Kansas City Chiefs superfan 'ChiefsAholic' pleads guilty to bank robberies
Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
Jimmy Butler goes emo country in Fall Out Boy's 'So Much (For) Stardust' video
Mississippi ex-governor expected stake in firm that got welfare money, says woman convicted in fraud
13 Travel-Approved Loungewear Sets That Amazon Reviewers Swear By