NASHVILLE, Tenn. — On Tuesday, an Army intelligence analyst pleaded guilty to charges related to conspiring to sell military information to China, according to the Justice Department.

Korbein Schultz, 25, a sergeant at Fort Campbell, was charged in March with conspiring to reveal national defense information, illegally exporting defense articles and technical data, and bribing a public official. He pleaded guilty to all six felony counts against him, as confirmed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee.

Schultz, who had top secret clearance, worked with a person in Hong Kong, believed to be linked to the Chinese government, to obtain classified national defense information, including sensitive technical data about U.S. military weaponry, in exchange for money, according to the plea documents.

“Governments like China actively seek to exploit our military personnel and national security information, and we will take all necessary actions to protect that information from adversarial foreign governments,” stated FBI Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells.

U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger is scheduled to sentence Schultz on January 23. The three charges related to illegal export of defense articles to China carry potential maximum penalties of up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

Schultz must also forfeit any assets or money linked to his crimes, and he is barred from making any profit from them in the future.

“You can’t publish a book and earn a million dollars,” Trauger cautioned him.

‘Carelessly jeopardized our national security’

During the court proceedings, an FBI special agent shared more about Schultz’s offenses. Initially, the indictment referred to his co-conspirator in China as an employee of a supposed consulting firm; however, the FBI agent clarified that this individual was actually a member of the Chinese government.

At some point, Schultz recognized that the co-conspirator’s claim of being with a consulting firm was false, but according to Mary-Kathryn Harcombe, Schultz’s defense attorney, he believed he was not fully aware of the truth.

Among the sensitive information Schultz sold was detail on U.S. responses to a possible invasion of Taiwan and insights gained from the conflict in Ukraine. He was paid $200 for documents containing this information, as well as data regarding the positioning of U.S. troops in South Korea and the Philippines.

The FBI agent mentioned that Schultz attempted to involve a more senior Army official in his scheme to gain access to even more sensitive information.

Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen from the Justice Department’s National Security division remarked that Schultz’s misconduct “carelessly put our national security at risk to exploit the trust that our military placed in him.”

Details on military helicopters, artillery systems

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee issued a statement highlighting that China’s government is “actively targeting our military personnel.”

“This soldier made an oath to faithfully execute his duties, including the protection of national defense information,” said Brig. Gen. Rhett R. Cox, who leads the Army Counterintelligence Command. “He not only violated this solemn duty, but he also prioritized personal gain over his commitment to our country, disclosing information that could offer an advantage to a foreign adversary, thus endangering the lives of his fellow soldiers.”

In total, Schultz disclosed information about advanced military helicopters, high-mobility artillery rocket systems, missile defense systems, and the military tactics of China, along with tactics, techniques, and procedures for the F-22A fighter jet and intercontinental missiles, in exchange for $42,000, according to prosecutors.

The co-conspirator lured Schultz with promises of luxury items and exploited his passion for auto racing and desire for wealth, as indicated in the indictment. Schultz once mentioned to the co-conspirator that he “wished he could be ‘Jason Bourne,'” according to the indictment.

In court on Tuesday, Schultz wore a green jumpsuit and was shackled at the ankles. Several observers, including individuals from Fort Campbell, were present in the gallery.