In a separate development, a former Army sergeant who once had top-secret clearance at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state was sentenced to four years in federal prison. The sentence was handed down on Tuesday after he attempted to provide national defense information to China.

The individual in question, Joseph Daniel Schmidt, 31, admitted guilt in June to charges of attempting to deliver and retain classified information, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Following his prison term, U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour ordered Schmidt to serve three years of supervised release.

This sentencing highlights the increasing concern among U.S. authorities about China’s efforts to recruit or exploit former military personnel with access to sensitive information.

“As a retired Army officer, it is unconscionable for a former soldier to endanger his colleagues and country by attempting to sell secret information and intelligence access to a hostile foreign power,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd.

Joseph Daniel Schmidt, who is 31 years old, had learned Mandarin and sought a Chinese visa during his time in the Army, according to reports. (U.S. Army)

Schmidt enlisted in 2015 and served in the Army’s 109th Military Intelligence Battalion until 2020. Prosecutors said he had access to both secret and top secret systems and later contacted Chinese consular officials after leaving the Army.

Court records show Schmidt created multiple documents based on classified material and offered them to Chinese security services. He also kept a device capable of accessing secure Army networks, which prosecutors said he offered to Chinese officials.

After leaving the Army, Schmidt traveled to Hong Kong in March 2020 and continued corresponding with Chinese contacts. He lived there for more than three years before flying to San Francisco in October 2023, where he was arrested. He pleaded guilty in June 2025 and was sentenced Tuesday in Seattle.

Schmidt attempted to sell U.S. state secrets to China through the consulate in Turkey before trying the Chinese security services, according to the DOJ. (Adek Berry)

Coughenour said he weighed “the seriousness of Schmidt’s crime and his mental health at the time.” A DOJ spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital the judge considered Schmidt’s mental health as a mitigating factor during sentencing. 

The agency said Schmidt’s separation from the Army followed a mental health episode, and officials added that no classified material was believed to have reached China.

“The FBI and our partners will remain vigilant in our mission to safeguard our nation,” said W. Mike Herrington, special agent in charge of the Seattle field office.

Joseph Daniel Schmidt was stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state while serving in the Army. (Facebook/Joint Base Lewis-McChord)

Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Greenberg said Schmidt “created documents based on classified and national defense information. He used his training to provide sensitive information to the Chinese security service. He knew what he was doing was wrong. He was doing web searches for such things as ‘Can you be extradited for treason.’”

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

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Seattle Field Office with assistance from the USACC.

The Army did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.