A former U.S. Army intelligence sergeant who once held access to some of the nation’s most sensitive military secrets has pleaded guilty to attempting to share classified information with the Chinese government, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Joseph Daniel Schmidt, 31, was last stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in Washington state with the 109th Military Intelligence Battalion. On Wednesday, Schmidt admitted in federal court to two felony charges: attempting to deliver national defense information to a foreign government and unlawful retention of that information.
Schmidt now faces up to 10 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for September 9.
Betrayal from Within
Schmidt served in the Army from 2015 to 2020, working in a position that granted him access to both secret and top secret intelligence. Not long after his discharge, he allegedly began reaching out to Chinese officials, including contacts at the Chinese consulate in Turkey, offering to sell sensitive national defense information.
According to the DOJ, Schmidt traveled to Hong Kong in March 2020, where he continued his efforts to aid Chinese intelligence agencies. Investigators say he created multiple documents detailing classified military capabilities and procedures, and even attempted to provide a device capable of granting unauthorized access to secure Department of Defense computer networks.
He remained abroad until October 2023, when he flew from Hong Kong to San Francisco. FBI agents arrested him upon arrival at the airport.
DOJ and FBI Respond
Federal officials condemned Schmidt’s actions as a betrayal of his oath and duty.
“Schmidt was once a trusted guardian of our nation’s secrets,” said Assistant Director Suzanne Turner of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “He betrayed his promise and potentially placed our nation at risk.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman added: “In that context, the actions of this former military member are shocking — not only attempting to provide national defense information, but also information that would assist a foreign adversary to gain access to Department of Defense secure computer networks.”
Pattern Emerging at JBLM?
Schmidt’s case follows the March arrests of two active-duty soldiers and a former service member—also based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord—on suspicion of conspiring to steal and sell military secrets to China. While the DOJ has not confirmed any direct link between the cases, the growing pattern of espionage-linked activity originating from the same installation has raised alarms within the military intelligence community.
The FBI continues to investigate, with support from the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command.
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