Active Duty Army Arrested for Theft of Govt. Property & Bribery

by Joe

3-minute read

Today FBI Director Kash Patel announced that active-duty military members belonging to the Army were arrested for stealing government property and a bribery scheme. 

Three individuals, including two active-duty U.S. Army soldiers and one former soldier, were arrested today following federal indictments in the District of Oregon and the Western District of Washington. The arrests stem from allegations of espionage, bribery, and theft of government property, with ties to individuals in China.

The defendants include Li Tian and Ruoyu Duan, charged in the District of Oregon for conspiring to commit bribery and theft of government property, and Jian Zhao, charged in the Western District of Washington for conspiring to obtain and transmit national defense information to unauthorized individuals, as well as for bribery and theft of government property.

Attorney General Pamela J. Bondi condemned the actions of the accused, stating, “The defendants arrested today are accused of betraying our country, actively working to weaken America’s defense capabilities and empowering our adversaries in China. They will face swift, severe, and comprehensive justice.”

FBI Director Kash Patel emphasized the gravity of the situation, noting, “While bribery and corruption have thrived under China’s Communist Party, this behavior cannot be tolerated with our service members who are entrusted with sensitive military information, including national defense information.” Patel also expressed gratitude to the U.S. Army Counterintelligence for their collaboration in the investigation.

Acting U.S. Attorney William M. Narus for the District of Oregon commended the efforts of the FBI and U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command, stating, “We thank the FBI and U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command for their hard work on this investigation and commitment to protecting our national security.”

Brig. Gen. Rhett R. Cox, Commanding General of the Army Counterintelligence Command, highlighted the broader implications of the case, saying, “These arrests underscore the persistent and increasing foreign intelligence threat facing our Army and nation.” He urged all Army personnel to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to protect national security.

Details of the Allegations

According to the indictment in the District of Oregon, beginning around November 28, 2021, and continuing until at least December 19, 2024, Li Tian and Ruoyu Duan, along with others, conspired to gather sensitive military information related to the U.S. Army’s operational capabilities. This included technical manuals and other classified data. Tian allegedly transmitted this information to Duan in exchange for monetary compensation, violating his duties as an active-duty U.S. Army officer. Specifically, Tian was tasked with collecting information on U.S. military weapon systems, including the Bradley and Stryker fighting vehicles.

In the Western District of Washington, Jian Zhao, an active-duty U.S. Army Supply Sergeant, was charged with conspiring to obtain and transmit national defense information to individuals in China. Zhao is accused of collecting and transmitting classified hard drives marked “SECRET” and “TOP SECRET,” negotiating their sale, and agreeing to send them to China. In exchange, Zhao allegedly received at least $10,000. Additionally, Zhao is accused of conspiring to sell an encryption−capable computer stolen from the U.S. government, as well as sensitive military documents related to the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and U.S. military readiness in the event of a conflict with China. 

Investigation and Prosecution

The case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command. Prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey Barrow and Katherine Rykken for the District of Oregon, and Trial Attorneys Christopher Cook and Yifei Zheng of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

It is important to note that an indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Read the entire press release HERE

This comes just as Bloomberg has stated that DOGE working to sell off unneeded government properties inadvertently exposed a CIA black site.

Also worth considering is the fact that about 2 days ago it came out that Victoria Nuland's son is working on a think tank that is working against the President in regard to ending the war in Ukraine.