Young Army Traitor Sells F-22 Secrets to China for $42K

Paul Riverbank, 4/24/2025Young Army analyst betrays America, selling F-22 secrets to China through simple online transactions.

The Digital Face of Modern Treason: A Wake-Up Call for America's Security Apparatus

The recent sentencing of former Army intelligence analyst Korbein Schultz reads like a plot from a cut-rate spy novel, yet it exposes alarming vulnerabilities in our military's information security protocols. As someone who's covered defense matters for two decades, I find this case particularly troubling – not for its sophistication, but for its stunning simplicity.

Let's be clear about what happened here: A 25-year-old analyst with fresh Top Secret clearance sold out his country through what amounts to a glorified Craigslist transaction. For the price of a mid-range SUV – $42,000 – Schultz handed over 92 classified documents to Chinese intelligence operatives masquerading as consultants.

I spoke with several defense officials last week who painted a disturbing picture. The compromised information wasn't just technical specs of the F-22A fighter (though that's bad enough) – it included critical analysis of NATO operations in Eastern Europe and details about missile defense systems that could prove invaluable to potential adversaries.

What keeps security experts up at night isn't the sophistication of this breach – it's the opposite. No dead drops in park benches. No mysterious figures in trench coats. Just emails, file transfers, and PayPal transactions. Welcome to Espionage 2.0.

The seven-year sentence Schultz received – a fraction of the possible 65-year maximum – raises eyebrows. Sure, he cooperated after getting caught, but let's put this in perspective: The damage he's done will outlive his prison term by decades.

Most concerning is his attempt to recruit another analyst at Indo-Pacific Command. This wasn't just opportunistic betrayal – it was an active effort to expand Chinese intelligence operations within our military's nerve center for Pacific operations.

Here's what's keeping Pentagon officials awake: If one analyst can do this much damage through a freelance website, how many other potential breaches are we missing? The traditional safeguards against espionage were built for a world of microfilm and secret codes, not Discord servers and Bitcoin payments.

I've covered enough of these cases to spot a pattern. The combination of youth, financial incentives, and the false sense of anonymity provided by digital communications creates a perfect storm for modern espionage. The Chinese intelligence services have clearly figured this out – they're fishing with dynamite in our talent pool.

The Justice Department's tough talk about vigilance is well and good, but we need more than just stern warnings. We need a complete overhaul of how we screen, monitor, and support individuals with access to sensitive information. The old paradigm of "trust but verify" needs updating for an era where verification is increasingly complex.

This isn't just about Schultz or the 92 documents now in foreign hands. It's about recognizing that the battlefield for national secrets has shifted dramatically. We're still playing checkers while our adversaries have moved on to multiplayer online chess.

Paul Riverbank is a political analyst specializing in national security and defense policy. His latest book, "Digital Battlegrounds: The New Face of National Security," examines emerging threats to American military intelligence.

The Digital Face of Modern Treason: A Wake-Up Call for America's Security ApparatusThe recent sentencing of former Army intelligence analyst Korbein Schultz reads like a plot from a cut-rate spy novel, yet it exposes alarming vulnerabilities in our military's information security protocols. As someone who's covered defense matters for two decades, I find this case particularly troubling – not for its sophistication, but for its stunning simplicity.Let's be clear about what happened here: A 25-year-old analyst with fresh Top Secret clearance sold out his country through what amounts to a glorified Craigslist transaction. For the price of a mid-range SUV – $42,000 – Schultz handed over 92 classified documents to Chinese intelligence operatives masquerading as consultants.I spoke with several defense officials last week who painted a disturbing picture. The compromised information wasn't just technical specs of the F-22A fighter (though that's bad enough) – it included critical analysis of NATO operations in Eastern Europe and details about missile defense systems that could prove invaluable to potential adversaries.What keeps security experts up at night isn't the sophistication of this breach – it's the opposite. No dead drops in park benches. No mysterious figures in trench coats. Just emails, file transfers, and PayPal transactions. Welcome to Espionage 2.0.The seven-year sentence Schultz received – a fraction of the possible 65-year maximum – raises eyebrows. Sure, he cooperated after getting caught, but let's put this in perspective: The damage he's done will outlive his prison term by decades.Most concerning is his attempt to recruit another analyst at Indo-Pacific Command. This wasn't just opportunistic betrayal – it was an active effort to expand Chinese intelligence operations within our military's nerve center for Pacific operations.Here's what's keeping Pentagon officials awake: If one analyst can do this much damage through a freelance website, how many other potential breaches are we missing? The traditional safeguards against espionage were built for a world of microfilm and secret codes, not Discord servers and Bitcoin payments.I've covered enough of these cases to spot a pattern. The combination of youth, financial incentives, and the false sense of anonymity provided by digital communications creates a perfect storm for modern espionage. The Chinese intelligence services have clearly figured this out – they're fishing with dynamite in our talent pool.The Justice Department's tough talk about vigilance is well and good, but we need more than just stern warnings. We need a complete overhaul of how we screen, monitor, and support individuals with access to sensitive information. The old paradigm of "trust but verify" needs updating for an era where verification is increasingly complex.This isn't just about Schultz or the 92 documents now in foreign hands. It's about recognizing that the battlefield for national secrets has shifted dramatically. We're still playing checkers while our adversaries have moved on to multiplayer online chess.Paul Riverbank is a political analyst specializing in national security and defense policy. His latest book, "Digital Battlegrounds: The New Face of National Security," examines emerging threats to American military intelligence.