On Friday, a former US Army sergeant was arrested for attempting to provide classified information to China, the Justice Department said.
Joseph Daniel Schmidt, who served in an army intelligence unit from 2015-2020, is charged with keeping national defense information and trying to provide it to China.
After leaving the military, Schmidt proposed national defense information to the Chinese consulate in Turkey and the Chinese security services, the Justice Department said.
Schmidt in March 2020, who had access to secret and top secret information while serving in the 109th Military Intelligence Battalion at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, went to Hong Kong, where he “persisted his measures to deliver Chinese intelligence with classified information.”
The department said, “He allegedly retained a device that allows for access to secure military computer networks and offered the device to Chinese authorities to assist them in efforts to gain access to such networks.”
Schmidt stayed in China, mostly in Hong Kong, until he returned to the United States on Friday. He was arrested after he arrived in San Francisco.
Tessa Gorman, acting US attorney, said, “Members of our military take a sworn oath to defend our country and the Constitution. “In that context, the alleged actions of this former military member are shocking –- not only attempting to provide national defense information but also information that would assist a foreign adversary to gain access to Department of Defense secure computer networks.”
Schmidt could encounter up to 20 years in jail.
His detention comes two months after two members of the US Navy were captured on suspicion of spying for China.
Jinchao Wei, who served on the amphibious assault ship the USS Essex in San Diego, allegedly provided dozens of documents, pictures, and videos documenting the operation of ships and their systems.
Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao, who served at a naval base near Los Angeles, allegedly spied for China for about two years.
