{"id":2059430,"date":"2023-10-08T00:39:01","date_gmt":"2023-10-08T04:39:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/former-us-soldier-arrested-for-trying-to-give-china-access-to-military-computer-systems\/"},"modified":"2023-10-08T00:43:03","modified_gmt":"2023-10-08T04:43:03","slug":"former-us-soldier-arrested-for-trying-to-give-china-access-to-military-computer-systems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/former-us-soldier-arrested-for-trying-to-give-china-access-to-military-computer-systems\/","title":{"rendered":"Ex-US Soldier Arrested for Aiding China&#8217;s Access to Military Computers"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fformer-us-soldier-arrested-for-trying-to-give-china-access-to-military-computer-systems%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2059430&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<h2>American Soldier Arrested for Attempting to Deliver Classified Defense Information to China<\/h2>\n<p>A former U.S. soldier has\u200d been\u2062 apprehended by the State Department for his\u200b involvement in trying to provide \u200dclassified defense information to China&#8217;s ruling communist regime.<\/p>\n<p>Joseph \u200cSchmidt, a former sergeant in the U.S. Army, was taken into \u2064custody on October 6. Although he was not enlisted at the time \u200dof\u200d his arrest, Schmidt is facing charges related to his alleged\u2063 attempts to deliver national defense information to communist China and his illegal retention of such information \u2064after\u200c leaving the military.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode\">\n<div class=\"border-comp-divider mb-4 mr-4 w-full max-w-[500px] border px-5 py-4 text-[16px] leading-[20px] text-[#262626] md:float-left\" id=\"in_article_related_stories\">\n<h2 class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related Stories<\/h2>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/world\/designate-china-as-threat-over-espionage-cell-in-parliament-uk-mps-say-5489645?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>Designate China as\u200c Threat\u2062 Over &#8216;Espionage Cell&#8217;\u200c in Parliament, UK MPs\u200c Say<\/h3>\n<p>            <\/a>\n          <\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">9\/11\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\">\n          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/world\/designate-china-as-threat-over-espionage-cell-in-parliament-uk-mps-say-5489645?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/world\/csis-report-says-china-committing-espionage-against-canadian-institutions-defence-contractors-5243134?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>CSIS Report Says China \u200cCommitting \u2063Espionage\u2062 Against Canadian Institutions, Defence Contractors<\/h3>\n<p>            <\/a>\n          <\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">5\/4\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\">\n          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/world\/csis-report-says-china-committing-espionage-against-canadian-institutions-defence-contractors-5243134?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>He is scheduled to appear in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of\u200c California on Friday \u200cand will be brought to the Western \u2063District \u200cof Washington for \u2064further court\u2062 proceedings.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Individuals entrusted with national\u200d defense \u200binformation have a continuing duty to protect \u200bthat information beyond their government service\u2062 and certainly beyond our borders,&#8221; stated\u200c Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew Olsen.<\/p>\n<p>The National Security Division is \u200bcommitted to \u2062identifying \u2064and holding accountable those who violate that duty.<\/p>\n<p>Schmidt served in the Army for five\u2062 years, with \u200chis service ending in 2020.<\/p>\n<p>During his time at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington\u2064 state, where \u200dhe was assigned to\u2062 the 109th \u200bMilitary Intelligence Battalion, Schmidt had access to Secret and \u2062Top Secret information.<\/p>\n<p>After\u2062 leaving the military, Schmidt allegedly retained classified intelligence \u2064related to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hunter-biden-investigation-intel-laptop-letter-signers-scored-top-jobs-in-biden-administration\/\" title=\"Hunter Biden investigation: Intel laptop letter signers scored top jobs in Biden administration\">national defense matters<\/a>\u200d and subsequently reached out to the\u2063 Chinese\u200b consulate in Turkey and Chinese security \u200bservices via\u2063 email, offering them the information.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Schmidt betrayed his promise and potentially jeopardized our \u2064nation by attempting to pass national defense information \u200cto \u2062Chinese security services,&#8221; \u2063said FBI Assistant Director of Counterintelligence Suzanne Turner.<\/p>\n<p>The FBI \u200dand its partners are \u200bdedicated to safeguarding the American people and U.S.\u200c national security.<\/p>\n<p>Two months after leaving the Army, Schmidt traveled \u200dto Hong Kong,\u2064 where he\u2063 reportedly informed Chinese security services about a device that\u200c could <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/former-us-soldier-arrested-for-trying-to-give-china-access-to-military-computer-systems\/\" title=\"Ex-US Soldier Arrested for Aiding China's Access to Military Computers\">access secure military\u200b computer networks<\/a> in the United States. He\u200c allegedly offered to provide this device to the Chinese \u2063regime.<\/p>\n<p>Schmidt has been \u2064residing in Hong Kong since \u20632020 but was arrested upon his arrival \u2064in San Francisco\u2063 this\u200d week.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Members \u200bof our\u200b military take a sworn oath\u200d to defend our country and \u200bthe Constitution,&#8221; stated Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa Gorman.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;In this \u200dcontext, the \u2063alleged actions of this former military member are\u2062 shocking, as\u2064 he not only attempted to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ex-army-intel-officer-arrested-after-flight-from-china-lands-hit-with-serious-national-defense-charges\/\" title=\"Former Army intelligence officer arrested after flight from China lands, faces severe national defense charges.\">provide national defense information<\/a> but also information that would \u2062aid a foreign adversary in gaining \u2064access to \u200bDepartment of Defense secure\u2063 computer networks.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Both charges against Schmidt carry \u2063a maximum penalty of 10 years\u2064 in prison and a $250,000 \u2063fine.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What role \u200bdo government\u2064 agencies and intelligence services play \u200bin identifying and mitigating potential threats to\u2062 national security posed by individuals seeking to provide\u200c classified information to foreign entities<\/h2>\n<p><span>  The recent\u200c arrest of a former American soldier for\u200b attempting \u200bto deliver classified\u200b defense information to China has raised concerns about national security and the potential risks posed \u2063by individuals with access to sensitive information.<\/p>\n<p>Joseph Schmidt, a former sergeant in the U.S. Army, was \u2064apprehended by the State Department on October\u200d 6. Although he was not enlisted at the time of his \u200darrest, Schmidt is facing charges related to his alleged attempts \u2064to provide national defense information to China&#8217;s\u2064 ruling \u2062communist regime. Additionally, he is being \u2064charged with the illegal retention of classified information\u2064 after \u2064leaving the military.<\/p>\n<p>This incident highlights the ongoing challenge of safeguarding classified \u2062information and preventing unauthorized disclosures. Individuals entrusted with national defense information have a duty to protect it not only during their government service but also beyond our \u2064borders. The potential consequences of such information \u2064falling into the wrong hands are \u2064significant, including jeopardizing national security, compromising military operations, \u2063and endangering the lives \u200dof service members.<\/p>\n<p>The arrest of Schmidt\u2063 serves as \u200ca stark reminder of the continuous threat \u200dposed\u2062 by\u200d foreign intelligence\u200c agencies and their efforts to obtain classified information. These agencies often \u200ctarget \u2062individuals \u2064who \u200dhave access\u2064 to sensitive information, as \u200bwas the case with Schmidt.\u200b His alleged attempt to deliver classified defense information to China&#8217;s\u2062 communist regime underscores the need for enhanced security measures and increased \u200cvigilance.<\/p>\n<p>The investigation \u2063and subsequent legal proceedings will shed light on the extent of Schmidt&#8217;s involvement \u200dand \u200bthe nature of the information he intended to provide. It \u200cis\u200c imperative that\u200d the U.S. justice system\u2064 thoroughly examines the case to\u2063 ensure a fair trial and the appropriate punishment if found \u2063guilty. This \u200cshould serve as a deterrent to others who may contemplate similar\u200d actions.<\/p>\n<p>National security remains a top priority \u2062for the United States, and incidents like this underscore the\u2062 need for constant vigilance and robust security protocols. It is essential to continuously review and strengthen security measures, enhance personnel screening processes, and provide ongoing training to individuals with access\u200b to classified information. Additionally, close cooperation between government agencies and\u200d intelligence services \u200dis \u200bcrucial in identifying and mitigating potential threats.<\/p>\n<p>As Schmidt is scheduled to appear in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of\u200c California on Friday,\u2062 and subsequently brought to the Western \u2063District\u2064 \u200cof Washington for \u2064further \u2062court\u2062 proceedings, it is hoped that justice will be served, and the severity of his\u2063 alleged actions will be appropriately \u2064addressed.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, the\u2062 arrest of Joseph Schmidt serves as a reminder of the ongoing threat \u200cto national security posed by individuals seeking \u2063to deliver classified defense information \u200dto foreign entities. It is imperative that the United States \u2063remains diligent in protecting sensitive information and ensuring the prosecution of those who seek to compromise its\u200d security. This case highlights the importance\u200c of robust security\u2063 measures, personnel screening, and close cooperation between agencies to safeguard national interests.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A former U.S. soldier, Joseph Schmidt, was arrested for trying to provide classified defense information to China&#8217;s communist regime. The State Department confirmed his arrest. Although he had served in the U.S. Army as a sergeant, he was not enlisted during his arrest on Oct. 6. Schmidt now faces two felony charges.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":228,"featured_media":2059431,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2059430","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2059430","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/228"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2059430"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2059430\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2059431"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2059430"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2059430"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2059430"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}