Jian Zhao, and Li Tian, active-duty U.S. Military troopers stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, together with Ruoyu Duan, a former U.S. Military soldier, have been arrested as we speak following indictments by federal grand juries within the District of Oregon and the Western District of Washington. Tian and Duan have been charged within the District of Oregon for conspiring to commit bribery and theft of presidency property. Zhao was charged within the Western District of Washington for conspiring to acquire and transmit nationwide protection info to a person not approved to obtain it, and likewise for bribery and theft of presidency property.
“The defendants arrested as we speak are accused of betraying our nation, actively working to weaken America’s protection capabilities and empowering our adversaries in China,” stated Lawyer Common Pamela J. Bondi. “They may face swift, extreme, and complete justice.”
“Whereas bribery and corruption have thrived underneath China’s Communist Get together, this habits can’t be tolerated with our service members who’re entrusted with delicate navy info, together with nationwide protection info,” stated FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI and our companions will proceed to work to uncover makes an attempt by these in China to steal delicate U.S. navy info and maintain all accountable who play a job in betraying our nationwide protection. The FBI want to thank U.S. Military Counterintelligence for his or her shut partnership throughout this investigation.”
“We thank the FBI and U.S. Military Counterintelligence Command for his or her laborious work on this investigation and dedication to defending our nationwide safety,” stated Appearing U.S. Lawyer William M. Narus for the District of Oregon.
“These arrests underscore the persistent and growing overseas intelligence risk going through our Military and nation,” stated Brig. Gen. Rhett R. Cox, Commanding Common, Military Counterintelligence Command. “Together with the Division of Justice and FBI, Military Counterintelligence Command will proceed to work tirelessly to carry these accountable who irresponsibly and selfishly abandon the Military values and select private acquire over obligation to our nation. We remind all members of the Military workforce to extend their vigilance and defend our Military by reporting suspicious exercise.”
The indictment within the District of Oregon alleges that starting on or about Nov. 28, 2021, and persevering with to at the least on or about Dec. 19, 2024, Duan and Tian together with others, identified and unknown to the grand jury conspired with one another to surreptitiously collect delicate navy info associated to the USA Military’s operational capabilities, together with technical manuals and different delicate info, and that Tian transmitted this info to Duan in return for cash, in violation of his official duties as an active-duty U.S. Military officer. Particularly, Tian was tasked with gathering info associated U.S. navy weapon techniques, together with info associated to the Bradley and Stryker U.S. Military combating autos, and transmitting them to Duan.
The indictment within the Western District of Washington alleges that starting in or about July 2024, and persevering with to the date of the arrest, Jian Zhao, an active-duty U.S. Military Provide Sergeant, conspired with others identified and unknown to the grand jury to acquire and transmit nationwide protection info to people primarily based in China. Zhao is additional alleged to have dedicated bribery and theft of presidency property.
Particularly, Zhao was charged for his conspiracy to gather and transmit a number of labeled laborious drives, together with laborious drives marked “SECRET” and “TOP SECRET”, negotiating with people primarily based in China for his or her sale, and agreeing to ship the labeled laborious drives to the people in China. In alternate for the sale of the labeled laborious drives, Zhao obtained at the least $10,000. Zhao is additional alleged to have conspired to promote an encryption succesful laptop that was stolen from the U.S. Authorities, and delicate U.S. navy paperwork and data, together with info associated to the Excessive Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), and data associated to U.S. navy readiness within the occasion of a battle with the Folks’s Republic of China. Zhao is alleged to have violated his duties as a U.S. Military Soldier and public official to guard delicate navy info in alternate for cash. In whole, Zhao is alleged to have corruptly obtained and accepted funds totaling at the least $15,000.
The FBI and the U.S. Military Counterintelligence Command investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey Barrow and Katherine Rykken for the District of Oregon and Trial Attorneys Christopher Cook dinner and Yifei Zheng of the Nationwide Safety Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Management Part are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed harmless till confirmed responsible past an inexpensive doubt in a court docket of legislation.
