Mar 6: Jian Zhao and Li Tian, active-duty US Army soldiers stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, along with Ruoyu Duan, a former US Army soldier, were arrested for conspiring to obtain and sell top secret / sensitive US national defense information to China. Tian and Duan were charged in the District of Oregon for conspiring to commit bribery and theft of government property. Zhao was charged in the Western District of Washington for conspiring to obtain and transmit national defense info to an individual not authorized to receive it, and also for bribery and theft of government property.
Li Tian and Ruoyu Duan
Beginning on or about Nov 28, 2021, and continuing to at least on or about Dec 19, 2024, Duan and Tian along with others conspired with each other to surreptitiously gather sensitive military info related to US Army’s operational capabilities, including technical manuals and other sensitive info. Tian was tasked with gathering info related to US military weapon systems including Bradley and Stryker fighting vehicles, and transmitting such info to Duan in return for money, in violation of his official duties as an active-duty US Army officer
Tian was an active-duty first lieutenant stationed at the Washington base as a health services administrator. Duan was an active soldier from 2013 to 2017.
Tian is accused of entering restricted military installations and removing non-public, sensitive Army photos and documents.
Duan received money from financial accounts based in China and then paid Tian for the material. Tian accepted payments from Duan totaling at least $500 on Mar 29, 2023.
Duan paid another unidentified accomplice about $3,200 for military info from June 7, 2023, to Nov 24, 2023.
Tian sent Duan classified military info via his personal and Army emails, using links to Google drives.
The two also communicated via Facebook Messenger, sometimes using code language to make it appear that they were talking about tuition and class materials.
By mid-Oct 2023, another unidentified conspirator introduced himself to Tian as a friend of Duan’s via WeChat and wrote, “Boss Duan says you have things to sell. Mind telling what you have.”
Video surveillance cameras at the Army base in Washington caught Tian taking photos of documents on his computer screen in his office on several days in May 2024 and taking and walking away with documents marked “SECRET”.
Other conspirators who aren’t named in the court documents sent packages of military info on classified hard drives to suspected buyers in China in exchange for thousands of dollars in payment.
Much of the communications to arrange the deliveries were done via WeChat.
Jian Zhao
Beginning around July 2024 and continuing to the date of the arrest, Jian Zhao, an active-duty US Army Supply Sergeant, conspired with others to obtain and transmit national defense information to individuals based in China. Zhao is further alleged to have committed bribery and theft of government property.
Zhao was charged for his conspiracy to collect and transmit several classified hard drives, including hard drives marked “SECRET” and “TOP SECRET”, negotiating with individuals based in China for their sale, and agreeing to send the classified hard drives to the individuals in China. In exchange for the sale of the classified hard drives, Zhao received at least $10,000. Zhao is further alleged to have conspired to sell an encryption capable computer that was stolen from the US Government, and sensitive US military docs and info, including info related to HIMARS, and info related to US military readiness in the event of a conflict with China. Zhao is alleged to have violated his duties as a US Army Soldier and public official to protect sensitive military info in exchange for money. In total, Zhao is alleged to have corruptly received and accepted payments totaling at least $15,000.
justice.gov/opa/pr/active-
oregonlive.com/crime/2025/03/
justice.gov/opa/media/1392
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