The DOJ says the conspiracy went on for years, with Lt. Tian illegally passing on information from November 2021 to December 2024. Lt. Tian and Mr. Duan have been charged with theft of government property, conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States and bribery of a public official.
“The FBI and our partners will continue to work to uncover attempts by those in China to steal sensitive U.S. military information and hold all accountable who play a role in betraying our national defense,” FBI Director Kash Patel wrote of the arrests.
In a separate indictment on Wednesday, a supply sergeant for the 17th Field Artillery Brigade, Sgt. Jian Zhao, was charged with stealing government hard drives and selling them to buyers based in China. From July 2024, Sgt. Zhao sold nearly two dozen hard drives marked “SECRET” or “TOP SECRET,” bringing in just over $15,000.