By Steve Neavling
Two active-duty U.S. Army soldiers and a former soldier were arrested Thursday on federal bribery and theft charges, accused of conspiring to obtain and sell sensitive government information, according to the Justice Department.
The soldiers, First Lt. Li Tian, a health services administrator, and Sgt. Jian Zhao, a supply sergeant with the 17th Field Artillery Brigade, were stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington, The New York Times reports. The third defendant, Ruoyu Duan, of Hillsboro, Oregon, served in the Army from 2013 to 2017.
One indictment, filed in the U.S. District Court of Oregon, alleges that from November 2021 through December 2023, Tian worked with Duan to secretly collect classified Army information, including technical manuals. Prosecutors say Tian provided details on Bradley and Stryker armored vehicles in exchange for money.
In a separate indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, Zhao is accused of conspiring to sell nearly two dozen hard drives, some labeled “SECRET” and “TOP SECRET,” to buyers in China. Prosecutors say he received at least $15,000 in payments starting around July 2024.
“The defendants arrested today are accused of betraying our country, actively working to weaken America’s defense capabilities and empowering our adversaries in China,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a news release. “They will face swift, severe and comprehensive justice.”
It was not immediately clear whether any of the defendants had legal representation.
Tian and Duan are charged with conspiracy, bribery of a public official, and theft of government property. Zhao faces charges of conspiracy to gather national defense information, bribery, and theft of government property.
Prosecutors cited encrypted messages from October in which Zhao told an unnamed co-conspirator he had the “good stuff.”
“Very sensitive document. Super difficult to get,” he wrote, referring to information about HIMARS, a truck-mounted multiple-rocket launcher. He initially priced the file at $3,000 and later negotiated $6,500 for two documents.
According to the Justice Department, the documents contained unclassified but sensitive information about rocket systems and military readiness in a potential conflict with China. Zhao also allegedly sold hard drives marked “TOP SECRET” or “SECRET” to Chinese buyers, though prosecutors did not disclose their contents.
“These arrests underscore the persistent and increasing foreign intelligence threat facing our Army and nation,” Brig. Gen. Rhett R. Cox, commander of the Army Counterintelligence Command, said in a statement.
