Camilla Jessen
Former JBLM Sergeant sentenced to four years in prison for delivering national security information to China.
A former U.S. Army sergeant who served at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) has been sentenced to four years in prison for attempting to provide classified national security information to China, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday.
Joseph Daniel Schmidt, 31, pleaded guilty in June to attempting to deliver national defense information and retaining classified materials.
He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour cited the seriousness of the offense and Schmidt’s mental health issues at the time as factors in the sentencing.
Access to top secret information
Schmidt served in the U.S. Army from 2015 to 2020, primarily in the 109th Military Intelligence Battalion at JBLM, where he had access to SECRET and TOP SECRET information.
After leaving the Army, Schmidt contacted Chinese intelligence through consulates and email and traveled to Hong Kong in March 2020, offering classified material.
He created multiple documents describing “high-level secrets” and offered to hand over a military device used to access secure networks.
Just 17 days after contacting Chinese officials, he was granted a work visa for China.
According to prosecutors, Schmidt conducted internet searches like “Can you be extradited for treason”, confirming he knew the seriousness of his actions.
He lived in Hong Kong until October 2023, when he returned to the U.S. and was arrested at San Francisco International Airport.
“This betrayal of duty endangered our national security,” said U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd, calling the case a top priority. FBI officials emphasized ongoing efforts to detect and stop insider threats.
This was reported by the United Nation’s Attorney’s Office.
This article is made and published by Camilla Jessen, who may have used AI in the preparation
