Former U.S. Army Sergeant Joseph Daniel Schmidt, 31, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to attempting to transfer military secrets that he illegally retained to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
[RELATED: Chinese Nationals Caught Trying to Smuggle Dangerous Biological Agent Into the U.S…]
Schmidt served in the Army from 2015 to 2020, where he was last stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in Washington as a member of the 109th Military Intelligence Battalion.
In his role with the Intelligence Battalion, Schmidt had access to top-secret information, which he illegally retained. After leaving the military, he attempted to contact the CCP via the Chinese Consulate in Turkey and through direct emails to Chinese security services.
He was apparently unsuccessful in his initial attempts to share the classified national defense information. In March 2020, Schmidt traveled to Hong Kong, once again trying to sell the military secrets. In efforts to pitch the CCP his information, Schmidt created multiple documents detailing what he described as “high-level secrets,” his indictment states.
He also attempted to give the CCP a device that he illegally retained, which allows access to secure U.S. military computer networks.
Schmidt remained in Hong Kong and other parts of China until 2023, when he flew to San Francisco, where he was arrested at the airport upon landing.
He pleaded guilty to attempting to deliver national defense information and retaining national defense information, both of which carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and $250,000 in fines.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) did not specify whether Schmidt was attempting to sell or simply give away the classified information.
