Army Soldier to Plead Guilty in Military Information Selling Case

Army Sgt. Korbein Schultz, previously pleading not guilty to charges of selling sensitive US military information, has decided to plead guilty as per federal court documents. Schultz, an intelligence analyst, faces charges including bribery and conspiring to disclose defense information. The hearing is set for August 13.

Army Sgt. Korbein Schultz, accused of selling sensitive information related to US military capabilities, plans to plead guilty, according to federal court documents.

Schultz, an intelligence analyst, filed a motion requesting a hearing to change his plea. His attorney, federal public defender Mary Kathryn Harcombe, indicated that Schultz has agreed to plead guilty under a deal with the government. US District Judge Aleta Trauger has scheduled the hearing for August 13, the original trial date. No details about the plea agreement have been disclosed, and Harcombe could not be reached for comment.

Schultz faces a six-count indictment, including charges of conspiring to obtain and disclose military defense information and bribery of a public official. The 24-year-old was arrested in March at Fort Campbell, on the Tennessee-Kentucky border, shortly after the indictment was made public. The indictment alleges Schultz, who held a top-secret security clearance, conspired with 'Conspirator A' to release sensitive documents, photographs, and other materials since June 2022. Schultz was recruited due to his security clearance and role in gathering sensitive information.

Among the information Schultz supposedly provided were details on the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, hypersonic equipment, and US military operational studies. Initially paid $200 for documents on lessons from Russia's war with Ukraine, Schultz received 14 payments totaling $42,000 for ongoing disclosures to Conspirator A, described in the indictment as a foreign national residing in Hong Kong.

(With inputs from agencies.)