An active-duty U.S. Army sergeant has been accused of repeatedly selling sensitive military and national defense information to individuals working for China, according to newly unsealed court documents.
Jian Zhao, a battery supply sergeant at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington, allegedly communicated with an unidentified co-conspirator between July and December last year to sell an encrypted military computer and 20 classified hard drives, federal prosecutors claim.
Zhao faces charges of conspiracy to obtain and transmit national defense information, bribery, and theft of government property.
Alongside Zhao’s arrest, federal prosecutors in Oregon have charged another active-duty soldier from the same base with sharing sensitive information about U.S. Army weapons systems.
Li Tian is accused of providing documents related to Bradley and Stryker fighting vehicles to Ruoyu Duan, a former U.S. Army soldier.
Both were arrested on Thursday and charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and theft of government property, according to the Department of Justice.
Attorney General Pam Bondi condemned the alleged crimes, stating, “The defendants arrested today are accused of betraying our country, actively working to weaken America’s defense capabilities, and empowering our adversaries in China. They will face swift, severe, and comprehensive justice.”
FBI Director Kash Patel also commented on the case in a post on X, stating that the accused individuals had stolen U.S. defense intelligence and aided adversaries, adding that they would now be held accountable.
Prosecutors say Zhao received $1,000 for an encrypted computer and told his co-conspirator, “It’s for two functions. It’s for an encryption slot or the hard drive.
It’s very rare now. Hard to find. If you can guarantee both of our safety while making some money for both of us, sell it. It’s the end of the year.”
Zhao also allegedly negotiated with two buyers from China, including his original co-conspirator, to sell classified hard drives.
Prosecutors noted that red stickers on the drives signified secret-level information, while yellow or orange stickers indicated top-secret material.
“I have many computer hard drives,” Zhao reportedly told his co-conspirator. “It may not be possible to check the contents of the hard drives. Tomorrow I will check how many are left. Do you understand unclassified and secret?”
Prosecutors allege Zhao was paid at least $7,500 for selling multiple hard drives and, in October, offered additional classified drives.
That same month, he also allegedly sold sensitive military documents that he had photographed on base, offering them for $3,000 to $4,000 each.
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