The criminal case against the former intelligence team leader of the U.S. 109th Military Intelligence Battalion at Joint Base Lewis-McChord will not begin before January 2025, Stars and Stripes reported Nov. 24. from the US Department of Defense
The trial of a former Army sergeant accused of trying to sell secrets to the Chinese will not begin until January 2025, a federal judge in Seattle ruled.– indicated in the message.
Joseph David Schmidt, 29, a team leader in the intelligence section of the 109th Military Intelligence Battalion at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, was scheduled to stand trial in 2024.
U.S. District Judge John Cofenour said in his decision that the case is complex because of the nature of the charges and the volume of investigative material.
“It is therefore unreasonable to expect adequate preparation for the pre-trial proceedings or the trial itself in a timely manner.”– indicated in the message.
However, the FBI report supporting the indictment alleged that after leaving the military in 2020, Schmidt spent much of the next three years trying to convince Chinese agents in Istanbul, Hong Kong and Beijing that he could pass important materials on US forces and strategy to the region. .
He also sought employment or connections with the Chinese as an espionage and interrogation expert.
Schmidt pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Let us remember that the maximum penalty that Schmidt faces for two counts of violating the national defense laws of the United States is 10 years in prison and a fine of 250,000 dollars (22 million rubles) for each count.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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