In a case that underscores the rising threat of foreign intelligence recruitment and insider betrayal, former U.S. Army sergeant Joseph Daniel Schmidt has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for attempting to share national defense information with the Chinese government.
At just 31 years old, Schmidt’s fall from a top-secret clearance holder to a convicted felon is both tragic and deeply alarming — a stark reminder that national security vulnerabilities can exist long after a service member leaves the uniform behind.
According to the Department of Justice, Schmidt pleaded guilty in June to charges that he attempted to deliver classified defense material to China, and also retained sensitive data after his discharge. He served in the Army’s 109th Military Intelligence Battalion, part of the larger intelligence apparatus at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, where he had access to some of the most sensitive information the military holds.
Schmidt didn’t just toy with the idea of espionage. Prosecutors say he actively created documents based on classified information and tried to hand them over to Chinese intelligence. He retained a specialized device that could access secure Army systems — and reportedly offered that as well.
His actions, prosecutors argued, weren’t spontaneous or misguided. Court documents revealed Schmidt had been researching legal consequences — including whether treason could lead to extradition — while corresponding with Chinese officials. He even relocated to Hong Kong for over three years, during which he maintained those communications. He returned to the United States in October 2023 and was immediately arrested.
Despite the weight of the charges, Judge John C. Coughenour handed down a four-year sentence, influenced in part by Schmidt’s documented mental health struggles, which reportedly began during his time in service.
The DOJ said Schmidt’s separation from the Army followed a mental health episode, and that no classified material is believed to have actually reached China — a factor that likely impacted the court’s sentencing decision.
Still, the symbolism of the case resonates far beyond one man’s downfall. As Acting U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd put it, the betrayal is “unconscionable.” A former soldier, trained and trusted, offering sensitive material to one of America’s chief geopolitical rivals — it’s the kind of breach that keeps intelligence officials awake at night.
China’s efforts to exploit former U.S. military personnel are becoming increasingly sophisticated and aggressive, according to national security officials. As U.S. adversaries widen their net for compromised insiders, the Schmidt case is both a warning and a call to vigilance: trust and training are powerful assets — but when misused, they can become devastating weapons in the wrong hands.