Former US Army Sergeant Pleads Guilty to Attempting Military Secrets Transfer to China

Joseph Daniel Schmidt, a former U.S. Army sergeant who served in the 109th Military Intelligence Battalion at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, pleaded guilty to federal charges for attempting to transfer classified military secrets to Chinese intelligence. Schmidt, who had access to both SECRET and TOP SECRET information during his military service from 2015 to 2020, illegally retained sensitive materials and sought to provide them to Chinese authorities via multiple channels, including the Chinese Consulate in Turkey and encrypted emails. After leaving the Army, he traveled to Hong Kong and China, attempting to sell or give away the classified information and a device that allowed access to secure U.S. military networks. His espionage efforts were amateurish, as revealed by his online searches about extradition laws and spying, contributing to his arrest upon returning to the U.S. in 2023. Schmidt faces up to ten years in prison and fines up to $250,000 for charges of retaining and attempting to deliver national defense information. This case highlights significant counterintelligence concerns related to military cybersecurity and espionage.