Tennessee soldier accused of selling military secrets to China pleads not guilty
The Fort Campbell soldier accused of selling military secrets — including details about advanced aircraft and intercontinental ballistic missiles — to China made his first appearance in court Friday morning in Nashville.
Sgt. Korbein Schultz, 24, was arrested Thursday at his post hours before the six-count federal indictment against him was unsealed. He entered plea of not guilty Friday.
Prosecutors allege that since June 2022, Schultz, an Army intelligence analyst, had been selling sensitive U.S. military information to someone in Hong Kong who worked for a geopolitical consulting firm. He shared information about advanced military helicopters, high-mobility artillery rocket systems, defensive missile systems and Chinese military tactics, according to the indictment.
Catch up: US Army soldier from Tennessee accused of selling aircraft, missile secrets to China
Schultz walked into U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara D. Holmes' courtroom at the Fred D. Thompson U.S. Courthouse in downtown Nashville just after 11:40 a.m. CT Friday.
He was wearing a plain dark khaki shirt with no design or lettering, black pants and tan boots. His shirt was stretched and distressed at the neck. His hair was in a typical Army cut, and he had tattoos on both forearms. He was shackled at the ankles in orange cuffs.
Schultz appeared despondent when entering and kept his eyes down when seated before the hearing began —except for glances to the gallery.
Four reporters, a handful of lawyers and a defendant for an upcoming case were seated in the gallery. None of Schultz's family was present in the courtroom.
Holmes read the charges against Schultz and the maximum sentence each count carries if convicted. Conspiracy to gather, transmit or lose defense information, count 1 in the indictment, carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence if convicted.
All three counts of unlawful export of defense articles, as well as the corresponding conspiracy charge, carry a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The count of bribery of a public official carries a maximum of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Read the indictment: Tennessee soldier accused of selling military secrets to China: Read full indictment here
Schultz was represented by Mary-Kathryn Harcombe, a public defender in Nashville, but he will likely be appointed new counsel. Harcombe told Holmes she believed Schultz qualified based on income and assets for a court-appointed lawyer. Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Kurtzman was there for the government.
Holmes said that a hearing over whether Schultz will remain in custody until trial will be held before U.S. District Judge Alistair Newbern. That hearing will likely occur sometime next week.
Schultz was handcuffed and exited the court at 11:58 a.m. CT.
Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for The Tennessean. Contact him at emealins@gannett.com or follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @EvanMealins.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Korbein Schultz in court: TN soldier accused of selling secrets to China
