An active-duty U.S. Army sergeant, Jian Zhao, has been charged with selling sensitive military and national defense secrets to individuals working on behalf of China, according to newly unsealed court records. Zhao, a battery supply sergeant stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, allegedly communicated with a co-conspirator from July to December last year to facilitate the sale of an encrypted military computer and 20 classified hard drives.
Federal prosecutors have charged Zhao with conspiracy to obtain and transmit national defense information, bribery, and theft of government property. In a related case, another active-duty U.S. Army soldier from the same base, Li Tian, has been accused of sharing sensitive documents related to Bradley and Stryker U.S. Army fighting vehicles with Ruoyu Duan, a former U.S. Army soldier. Both Tian and Duan were arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and theft of government property.
Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that the arrested individuals are accused of betraying the country by compromising its defense capabilities and assisting adversaries. FBI Director Kash Patel echoed these concerns, emphasizing that those charged have put national security at risk and will be held accountable under U.S. law.
Prosecutors revealed that Zhao was paid $1,000 for an encrypted military computer, telling his co-conspirator that the device was difficult to find and had encryption capabilities. He also engaged in negotiations with multiple buyers in China to sell classified hard drives, which were marked with red stickers for secret-level information and yellow or orange stickers for top-secret data. Surveillance photos included in court documents show Zhao taking pictures of military documents at his desk, further implicating him in the alleged scheme.
Zhao reportedly received at least $7,500 for selling multiple hard drives and, in October, offered additional classified hard drives along with sensitive military documents, initially priced between $3,000 and $4,000 each. His co-conspirator ultimately agreed to purchase two documents for $6,500.
Prosecutors argue that Zhao is a flight risk, citing his repeated statements about wanting to return to China. Court documents suggest that he may have stored additional sensitive information in an undisclosed warehouse. Authorities are still working to determine the extent of the security breach and locate any additional classified materials.
