A former U.S. Army intelligence sergeant has pleaded guilty to attempting to provide classified military information to the Chinese regime, according to the Justice Department.
Joseph Daniel Schmidt, 31, served in the 109th Military Intelligence Battalion at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, where he had access to both “secret” and “top secret” information. After leaving the military, Schmidt reportedly contacted the Chinese consulate in Turkey and later traveled to Hong Kong in March 2020, where he continued efforts to share U.S. national defense information with Chinese intelligence officials.
He was arrested upon returning to the United States in October 2023. Schmidt now faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. His sentencing is scheduled for September 9.
