Former US Army sergeant sentenced to 48 months for trying to pass defense intel to China

SEATTLE (CN) — A federal judge gave a former U.S. Army sergeant a 48-month sentence for attempting to pass sensitive defense information to the Chinese government.

Joseph D. Schmidt, 31, appeared in a nearly empty courtroom on Tuesday before U.S. District Judge John Coughenour with his attorney Dennis Carroll, who said that Schmidt should receive the minimum term necessary, meaning time served, because Schmidt suffered and continues to suffer from mental illness.

Specifically, Carroll from the Federal Public Defender’s Office said that after Schmidt experienced a psychotic break in 2019, a discharge from the military and a schizophrenia diagnosis, he believed that the U.S. government planted a chip in his brain and he wanted the Chinese government to confirm this.

Carroll described Schmidt as a patriotic young man who regrets his actions, whose worried parents couldn’t attend the hearing because they are caring for Schmidt’s sick grandparents, and that supervisory conditions would ensure that Schmidt took his medication.

“This is an extremely unusual and unique case,” said Carroll. “Given the mental health issues underlying this case, time served is warranted. This is a case driven by psychosis.”

Once Carroll finished, Schmidt stood before Coughenour to apologize.

“I apologize profusely for the crime I committed against the American people and the government,” Schmidt said. “I thoroughly regret my actions. I will never cease taking my medications, and I am sincerely grateful for the medications I received during this time.”

During his active duty from 2015 to 2020, Schmidt worked with the 109th Military Intelligence Battalion at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, nine miles south of Tacoma, Washington.

After leaving active duty in 2020, Schmidt traveled to Beijing and Turkey, where he Googled terms like “turkey extradition military defection,” “can you be extradited for treason” and “countries with negative relations with the US,” according to court documents.

In October 2023, federal agents arrested Schmidt after he tried to use his top-secret security clearance to give the Chinese government information about U.S. national defense, which investigators said Schmidt wanted to include with a device that allows access to secure military computer networks.

Schmidt initially pleaded not guilty but changed it to a guilty plea in June 2025.

Todd Greenberg from the U.S. Attorney’s Office disagreed with Carroll, arguing that Schmidt’s criminal conduct was fueled by his admiration for China more than his mental illness.

“No one is denying the connection between the defendant’s mental health issues and his criminal conduct,” said Greenberg, “but the defense is overstating and oversimplifying this situation.”

Per Greenberg, Schmidt’s ex-wife said that he didn’t show signs of uncontrolled mental illness when they met in April 2020, and the FBI provided information that Schmidt received a work permit for China 17 days after he emailed a second Chinese entity after months of trying to establish contact, showing that Schmidt made a concerted effort to ingratiate himself with China by using American national defense information.

“Schmidt abused his position as an army officer and human intelligence officer,” Greenberg said, pushing for Coughenour to sentence Schmidt to 84 months. “He created lengthy detailed notes on classified defense information, and he used his training to successfully provide it to these entities.”

Ultimately, Coughenour sentenced Schmidt to 48 months with three years of supervised release in recognition of Schmidt’s cooperation and mental health issues. The Ronald Reagan appointee also agreed to Carroll’s request to place Schmidt in a facility in Arizona so he can be close to his family.

Carroll told Courthouse News that Schmidt wishes he addressed his mental health issues earlier.

“While he hoped for a lower sentence, he respects the decision of the court and appreciates the medical care he received at the Bureau of Prisons,” Carroll said of Schmidt.

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