Former Army sergeant, 29, charged after ’emailing the Chinese consulate in Turkey and China’s secret military intelligence’ after he was arrested at San Francisco airport returning from Hong Kong .

A former US Army sergeant has been charged with trying to share national security secrets with China after parting ways with the military.

Joseph Daniel Smith, 29, was an active duty soldier in the US Army from 2015 to 2020 and was last stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state.

He was in charge of a team in the Human Intelligence Group responsible for overseeing the ‘gathering operations and the production of intelligence reporting, analysis and the dissemination of intelligence products’.

His work included access to vast amounts of classified intelligence and top-secret security clearances, prosecutors said.

After he separated from the military in 2020 – Schmidt allegedly reached out to the Chinese consulate in Turkey and emailed Chinese security services to offer information about US national defense.

The ex-sergeant allegedly had a device that allowed access to secure military computer networks – which he offered to give to Chinese authorities

U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington, Tessa Gorman, said: “The alleged actions of this former military member are shocking – not only an attempt to provide national defense information, but also information that would aid a foreign adversary to gain access to Department of Defense secure computer networks.’

According to a press release from the Office of Public Affairs for the US Department of Justice, Schmidt traveled to Hong Kong where he allegedly further attempted to provide classified information he knew from his high-security military post to Chinese intelligence.

The ex-sergeant allegedly had a device that allowed access to secure military computer networks – which he claimed he offered to give to Chinese authorities.

He remained in China until this week and was arrested when he returned to the US on a flight to San Francisco.

Schmidt appeared in the US District Court for the Northern District of California on Friday and will be brought to the Western District of Washington for further court proceedings.

The charges Schmidt faced after his arrest at the San Francisco airport are for attempting to deliver national defense information and retaining national defense information.

Both charges are punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen said: ‘Individuals entrusted with national defense information have an ongoing duty to protect that information beyond their government service and certainly beyond our borders.

‘The National Security Department is committed to identifying and holding accountable those who breach that duty.’

Joseph Daniel Smith, 29, served in the US Army from 2015 to 2020 and was last stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state

Schmidt appeared in the US District Court for the Northern District of California on Friday and will be brought to the Western District of Washington for further court proceedings

This comes after another case of classified documents being leaked earlier this year.

A 21-year-old member of the National Guard was arrested by FBI officials in April for posting pictures of between 50 and 100 classified US documents online.

Jack Teixeira was a member of the intelligence wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard and unofficial leader of an online group called ‘Thug Shaker Central’ – within which he distributed the documents, many of which related to the war in Ukraine keep.

Teixeira was one of the oldest in the group of mostly young men and teenagers, who were keen on games, guns and right-wing memes.

He went by the name ‘Jack the dripper’ and was referred to as ‘OG’ by other members.

In May, a Massachusetts magistrate judge ruled that Teixeira should remain in jail while his case plays out, naming the Air National Guardsmen as a potential flight risk.

Assistant Director Suzanne Turner of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division said: ‘Joseph Daniel Schmidt was once a trusted guardian of our nation’s secrets and swore an oath to defend and protect America’s national security.

“As alleged by the government, Schmidt betrayed his promise and potentially endangered our nation in his efforts to pass national defense information to Chinese security services.”