Former JBLM soldier pleads guilty to trying to deliver military secrets to China
Jun 18, 2025, 5:12 PM
A sign at JBLM headquarters. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
A former U.S. Army Sergeant whose last post was Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) pleaded guilty Wednesday to trying to share military secrets with China.
Joseph Daniel Schmidt, 31, pleaded guilty to two felonies—attempt to deliver national defense information and retention of national defense information, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
Schmidt was an active-duty soldier from January 2015 to January 2020, with his primary assignment at JBLM’s 109th Military Intelligence Battalion, according to the attorney’s office.
“In his role, Schmidt had access to SECRET and TOP SECRET information,” the news release stated. “After his separation from the military, Schmidt reached out to the Chinese Consulate in Turkey and later, the Chinese security services via email, offering national defense information.”
Schmidt then traveled to Hong Kong in March 2020, where he continued to provide Chinese intelligence with classified information.
“He created multiple lengthy documents describing various ‘high-level secrets’ he was offering to the Chinese government,” the attorney’s office wrote.
Schmidt also offered a device to Chinese authorities that would allow them to access secure military records. He stayed in China, primarily Hong Kong, until October 2023, when he flew to San Francisco. He was subsequently arrested at the airport, according to the attorney’s office.
Schmidt will face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced on September 9.
Active-duty JBLM soldiers, former U.S. Army soldier indicted
In March, two active-duty JBLM soldiers and a former U.S. Army soldier were indicted in connection with conspiring to transmit national defense information, theft of government property, and transferring sensitive military information, federal authorities announced.
A federal grand jury indicted Sgt. Jian Zhao on charges of espionage, bribery, and theft of government property.
The indictment in the Western District of Washington alleges that from July 2024 until his arrest, Zhao conspired to obtain and transmit national defense information to individuals in China.
Active-duty JBLM soldier Li Tian and former U.S. Army soldier Ruoyu Duan were also taken into custody following indictments by federal grand juries in the District of Oregon and the Western District of Washington.
The indictment in the District of Oregon alleges that from November 2021 to December 2024, Duan and Tian conspired to gather sensitive military information related to the U.S. Army’s operational capabilities, including technical manuals and sensitive information. Tian allegedly transmitted this information to Duan in exchange for money.
Tian and Duan were charged in the District of Oregon with conspiring to commit bribery and theft of government property. Zhao was charged in the Western District of Washington with conspiring to obtain and transmit national defense information to an unauthorized individual, as well as bribery and theft of government property.
Contributing: Aaron Granillo, KIRO Newsradio
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