Former soldier pleads guilty to attempting to share military secrets with China
2 days ago
- #military intelligence
- #national security
- #espionage
- Former U.S. Army Sergeant Joseph Daniel Schmidt pleaded guilty to two federal felonies related to national defense information.
- Schmidt, who served from 2015 to 2020, had access to SECRET and TOP SECRET information at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
- After leaving the military, Schmidt contacted Chinese authorities, offering classified information and a device for accessing secure military networks.
- He traveled to Hong Kong in 2020, creating documents detailing high-level secrets for the Chinese government.
- Schmidt was arrested in October 2023 upon returning to the U.S. and faces up to 10 years in prison.
- The FBI and U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command investigated the case, with prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Greenberg.