The U.S. Justice Department released the information below:
Jian Zhao, and Li Tian, active-duty U.S. Army soldiers stationed
at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, along with Ruoyu Duan, a former U.S. Army soldier,
were arrested today following indictments by federal grand juries in the
District of Oregon and the Western District of Washington. Tian and Duan were
charged in the District of Oregon for conspiring to commit bribery and theft of
government property. Zhao was charged in the Western District of Washington for
conspiring to obtain and transmit national defense information to an individual
not authorized to receive it, and also for bribery and theft of government
property.
“The defendants arrested today are accused of betraying our
country, actively working to weaken America’s defense capabilities and
empowering our adversaries in China,” said Attorney General Pamela J. Bondi.
“They will face swift, severe, and comprehensive justice.”
“While bribery and corruption have thrived under China’s
Communist Party, this behavior cannot be tolerated with our service members who
are entrusted with sensitive military information, including national defense
information,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI and our partners will
continue to work to uncover attempts by those in China to steal sensitive U.S.
military information and hold all accountable who play a role in betraying our
national defense. The FBI would like to thank U.S. Army Counterintelligence for
their close partnership during this investigation.”
“We thank the FBI and U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command for
their hard work on this investigation and commitment to protecting our national
security,” said Acting U.S. Attorney William M. Narus for the District of
Oregon.
“These arrests underscore the persistent and increasing foreign
intelligence threat facing our Army and nation,” said Brig. Gen. Rhett R. Cox,
Commanding General, Army Counterintelligence Command. “Along with the
Department of Justice and FBI, Army Counterintelligence Command will continue
to work tirelessly to hold those accountable who irresponsibly and selfishly
abandon the Army values and choose personal gain over duty to our nation. We
remind all members of the Army team to increase their vigilance and protect our
Army by reporting suspicious activity.”
The indictment in the District of Oregon alleges that beginning
on or about Nov. 28, 2021, and continuing to at least on or about Dec. 19,
2024, Duan and Tian along with others, known and unknown to the grand jury
conspired with each other to surreptitiously gather sensitive military
information related to the United States Army’s operational capabilities,
including technical manuals and other sensitive information, and that Tian
transmitted this information to Duan in return for money, in violation of his official
duties as an active-duty U.S. Army officer. Specifically, Tian was tasked with
gathering information related U.S. military weapon systems, including
information related to the Bradley and Stryker U.S. Army fighting vehicles, and
transmitting them to Duan.
The indictment in the Western District of Washington alleges
that beginning in or about July 2024, and continuing to the date of the arrest,
Jian Zhao, an active-duty U.S. Army Supply Sergeant, conspired with others
known and unknown to the grand jury to obtain and transmit national defense
information to individuals based in China. Zhao is further alleged to have
committed bribery and theft of government property.
Specifically, Zhao was charged for his conspiracy to collect and
transmit several classified hard drives, including hard drives marked “SECRET”
and “TOP SECRET”, negotiating with individuals based in China for their sale,
and agreeing to send the classified hard drives to the individuals in China. In
exchange for the sale of the classified hard drives, Zhao received at least
$10,000. Zhao is further alleged to have conspired to sell an encryption
capable computer that was stolen from the U.S. Government, and sensitive U.S.
military documents and information, including information related to the High
Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), and information related to U.S.
military readiness in the event of a conflict with the People’s Republic of
China. Zhao is alleged to have violated his duties as a U.S. Army Soldier and
public official to protect sensitive military information in exchange for
money. In total, Zhao is alleged to have corruptly received and accepted
payments totaling at least $15,000.
The FBI and the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command
investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey Barrow and Katherine Rykken
for the District of Oregon and Trial Attorneys Christopher Cook and Yifei Zheng
of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control
Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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