Former Oregon soldier admits to bribing officers and collecting data in order to transmit military secrets to China

A former soldier has officially admitted to his role in a conspiracy to bribe military personnel and funnel sensitive national defense information to China. Ruoyu Duan, a 41-year-old resident of Hillsboro, Oregon, recently entered a guilty plea to a single count of conspiracy to gather and transmit national defense information. It closes out a long-running investigation that pulled back the curtain on a serious security breach involving active-duty service members.

According to Stars and Stripes, Duan served as an active-duty soldier from 2013 to 2017. During this time, he was trained to handle sensitive and classified military information, which he eventually exploited. The exact details of his rank and specific assignments remain undisclosed. However, court records reveal that he was part of the scheme from November 2021 until he was arrested in March 2025.

In a press release, the Department of Justice stated that Duan conspired with others to surreptitiously gather sensitive military information related to the United States Army’s operational capabilities. This included technical manuals, computer equipment, intelligence reports, and training materials. The information leaked covered critical weapons systems such as the Bradley and Stryker armored combat vehicles, as well as the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).

A heist group

At the time of his arrest, CNN reported that the conspiracy involved recruiting active-duty personnel to facilitate the theft. Duan allegedly introduced Capt. Li Tian, a health administrator assigned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, to a source in Hong Kong. 

Tian reportedly began by writing papers on the Army for cash, but the relationship quickly escalated into supplying sensitive information directly to Duan. Court documents suggest that Tian provided documents on Army Stryker brigades and technical manuals on the Bradley for more than $4,000.

Per CNN, the network also included Jian Zhao, a supply sergeant assigned to the 17th Field Artillery Brigade at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Zhao, who managed over $55 million worth of Army property, was accused of selling nearly two dozen classified hard drives marked secret or top secret. 

He allegedly provided technical manuals on the HIMARS, as well as documents detailing U.S. Army Pacific communications and battle plans regarding China. For his role in the operation, CNN noted that Zhao was paid at least $15,000. Interestingly, earlier this year, it was discovered that multiple service members also sold marriages and military secrets to a Chinese group for a quick cash payment.

Per the report, at the time, former Attorney General Pamela J. Bondi stated, “The defendants arrested today are accused of betraying our country, actively working to weaken America’s defense capabilities and empowering our adversaries in China.” She added, “They will face swift, severe, and comprehensive justice.” 

W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle Field Office, also noted, “These arrests should send a message to would-be spies that we and our partners have the will and the ability to find you, track you down, and hold you to account.” Another high-profile arrest related to China was that of a California Mayor who stepped down after admitting she was a Chinese agent.

According to the DOJ, the investigation was a massive collaborative effort involving the FBI Portland and Seattle Field Offices and the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command. They noted that additional assistance was provided by the Customs and Border Protection Seattle Field Office, the Customs and Border Protection Office of Professional Responsibility, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

Per Stars and Stripes, Duan is currently awaiting his sentencing, which is scheduled for December 10, 2026, before U.S. District Court Judge Karin Immergut. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, along with a $250,000 fine and 3 years of supervised release. His co-conspirators, Tian and Zhao, also remain caught up in the legal process and are due back in court this coming October.