Ruoyu Duan, a former U.S. Army soldier arrested last month for allegedly orchestrating a bribery and espionage scheme targeting U.S. military secrets, is now attempting to reframe himself in court—not as a spy, but as a hapless “dupe” manipulated by Chinese agents.
Despite the overwhelming evidence laid out by federal prosecutors, including seized classified materials and documented money transfers, Duan’s defense claims he was merely a naive pawn in a broader Chinese intelligence operation. His attorney describes him as “less spy and more unsophisticated dupe,” claiming the information he passed along was mostly outdated or publicly available.
But the facts tell a different story.
The Allegations
According to indictments from federal grand juries in Oregon and Washington, Duan allegedly recruited two active-duty soldiers—Capt. Li Tian and Sgt. Jian Zhao—to steal sensitive U.S. military documents and transmit them to Chinese contacts in exchange for cash. The charges include conspiracy to obtain and transmit national defense information, bribery, and theft of government property.
Duan, who joined the Army in 2014 and was medically discharged in 2017, is accused of acting as a middleman between his former comrades and Chinese nationals posing as recruiters. Prosecutors allege he brokered the exchange of highly sensitive military information and paid Tian and Zhao for their access. In Zhao’s case, that access included hard drives marked “SECRET” and “TOP SECRET,” which Zhao allegedly agreed to send overseas.
(U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington)
The government says Duan knew exactly what he was doing—and had been doing it for years.
A Federal Show of Force
On March 6, 2025, FBI agents in tactical gear raided Duan’s Hillsboro, Oregon home in a pre-dawn operation. Flash-bangs were deployed. A federal armored truck smashed through the property. Inside, Duan, his wife, and their five-year-old daughter were asleep.
Investigators spent six hours combing the property and reportedly discovered unsecured firearms, prompting child services to temporarily remove the child from the home. Duan was taken into custody and now awaits trial at the Sheridan federal detention center.
A Weak Defense?
In a recent hearing, Duan’s attorney argued for pretrial release, claiming Duan was targeted by “sophisticated Chinese intelligence officers” who deceived him into thinking he was helping with civilian consulting work. They say any materials sent were outdated, unclassified, and obtained under misleading pretenses.
But Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Barrow wasn’t buying it.
Barrow told the court that Duan didn’t just stumble into espionage—he built a network. He described Duan as a key operator who “identified those who had information of value, made introductions, and transferred money between active soldiers and Chinese conspirators.” One of those soldiers, Zhao, allegedly received at least $15,000 for stolen government property, including an encryption-capable military computer and classified data related to HIMARS and U.S. military readiness for potential conflict with China.
As for Tian, prosecutors say he took a camera into a classified area at JBLM, walked out with a secret document that hasn’t been recovered, and was caught emailing dozens of sensitive files—including 83 marked with “not for public release” warnings—to Duan. A folder labeled “Treasure Trove of Knowledge” was discovered during the raid on Duan’s home, containing over 150 files from Tian alone.
Despite Tian’s claims that he believed Duan was writing a military-themed article, surveillance footage and file metadata paint a damning picture. Prosecutors even say Tian appeared on a Chinese podcast wearing a disguise while discussing U.S. Army operations.
Still Getting Paid
Despite the seriousness of the charges, both Zhao and Tian remain on active duty and continue to receive U.S. Army pay while on leave. Their futures likely depend on the outcome of the federal case, which could prompt court-martial proceedings or result in dishonorable discharges if they’re convicted.
Zhao, 36, is currently in federal custody in Seattle, with his case expected to be consolidated with Duan and Tian’s Oregon prosecution.
The Internet Does Its Homework
While the federal investigation builds in court, open-source sleuths have also begun connecting the dots. A March post by Twitter user @Byron_Wan claims Duan may be the same individual behind a now-deleted Weibo account known as “段小丑鱼” (“Duan Little Fish”), a blogger who frequently posted about military affairs. A 2017 Zhihu post under the same alias reportedly mentions leaving the U.S. Army that year—matching DOJ statements about Duan’s discharge.
Whether or not Duan’s “naive dupe” defense holds water remains to be seen, but with surveillance evidence, financial records, and digital footprints all stacked against him, the court isn’t taking chances. Both Duan and Tian have been deemed flight risks and will remain behind bars until their trial.
If the charges hold, this isn’t just a story about poor judgment or opportunism—it’s a story about betrayal in uniform, and a stark reminder of the ever-present threat of insider espionage.
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