A Fort Campbell Army intelligence analyst has been arrested on charges he allegedly sold U.S. military secrets to China, federal authorities disclosed Thursday. Sergeant Korbein Schultz faces several counts, including conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information, after a grand jury indictment.
According to a statement obtained by FOX 17, Schultz is accused of conspiring with a co-conspirator, called "Conspirator A," to relay sensitive documents that could injure the United States or benefit a foreign nation. The materials in question reportedly included information on the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and studies on the future development of U.S. military forces. Schultz, leveraging his Top Secret security clearance, allegedly provided this information from June 2022 until the time of his arrest.
The U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, Henry C. Leventis, confirmed that Schultz is "serving as a custodian for confidential information," and had been entrusted with the training of others in the secure handling of such data. Schultz's breach of trust involved transporting defense-related materials to Hong Kong, as stated by WKRN.
Schultz's arrest follows recent espionage-related charges against other military personnel, including U.S. Air Force employee David Franklin Slater and U.S. Navy Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao. The latter was sentenced to 27 months for selling sensitive material to China. In Schultz's case, he received at least 14 payments, totaling around $42,000, for his disclosures. These events come amidst ongoing concerns about the security of U.S. military intelligence, as detailed by The Tennessean.
Federal investigators are continuing their probe into the extent of Schultz's espionage activities. Meanwhile, the implication of such acts on national security will likely prompt a deeper examination of protocol and clearance verification processes within military intelligence networks.
