• A former U.S. Army soldier stationed at JBLM pleaded guilty to attempting to share military secrets with China.

• 31-year-old Joseph Daniel Schmidt was assigned to JBLM in the 109th Military Intelligence Battalion.

• Schmidt was arrested after traveling from China to San Francisco in 2023.

SEATTLE - A former U.S. Army sergeant stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington pleaded guilty to attempting to share classified military secrets with the Chinese government.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), 31-year-old Joseph Daniel Schmidt pleaded guilty to two federal felonies: attempt to deliver national defense information and retention of national defense information.

What was Joseph Daniel Schmidt's military service?

Records filed in the case say Schmidt was an active-duty soldier from January 2015 to January 2020. He was primarily assigned at JBLM in the 109th Military Intelligence Battalion.

What access did Schmidt have to classified information?

The backstory:

According to the DOJ, his role in the military granted him access to SECRET and TOP SECRET information. After leaving the military, he emailed the Chinese Consulate in Turkey and the Chinese security services to offer national defense information.

In March 2020, Schmidt traveled to Hong Kong and continued his efforts to share classified information with Chinese intelligence. He created multiple documents detailing various "high level secrets" at length.

What device did Joseph Daniel Schmidt offer to Chinese officials?

Authorities say he kept a device used to access secure military computer networks and offered it to Chinese officials to break into those systems.

Schmidt remained in China until October 2023, when he flew to San Francisco. He was arrested at the airport.

What charges will Schmidt face?

What's next:

According to the DOJ, attempting to deliver national defense information and retention of national defense information are both punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Schmidt will face a U.S. District Judge on Sept. 9, 2025.

The FBI investigated the case, with assistance provided by the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command. (Fox13)