Schmidt, 29, was charged with two counts of the Espionage Act in Seattle and faces up to 10 years in prison on both charges. He was arrested after flying from Hong Kong to San Francisco and appeared in federal court on Friday.
Schmidt, who served in the military intelligence battalion in Washington state, was accused of trying to help the Chinese government after completing his military service in January 2020. His job at Joint Base Lewis-McChord gave him access to classified materials.
Schmidt developed an interest in China during his military service and visited in 2017. In 2020, he tried to contact the Chinese Consulate in Istanbul and offered to share information he learned during his military service.
In March 2020, Schmidt traveled to Hong Kong and attempted to transfer national security secrets to China. He later returned to the United States, where he was arrested.
Source: Ferra
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