Former JBLM soldier arrested in San Francisco for attempting to provide US defense secrets to China
By GARY A. WARNER
STARS AND STRIPES • October 6, 2023
A former Army sergeant last assigned at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington with a military intelligence unit with access to top secret documents was arrested Friday on charges of attempting to deliver national defense information to China, the U.S. Justice Department announced.
Joseph Daniel Schmidt, 29, was taken into custody by federal agents at San Francisco International Airport as he arrived on a commercial flight from Hong Kong.
The arrest is based on an indictment issued Oct. 3 by a federal grand jury in Seattle. It charges two felonies: Attempting to deliver national defense information and retention of national defense information. Each charge carries a punishment of up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Schmidt was stationed at Lewis-McChord from January 2015 to January 2020, according to FBI reports filed in the case. His primary assignment was the 109th Military Intelligence Battalion. In his role, Schmidt had access to “secret” and “top secret” information.
https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2023-10-06/lewis-mcchord%C2%A0army-soldier-chinese-secrets-11618368.html
