Former U. S. Army soldier Ruoyu Duan has pleaded guilty to participating in a scheme to illegally obtain and transmit information related to U.S. national defense. The 41-year-old Hillsboro, Oregon, resident entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors on September 16, 2026.

Duan served in the U. S. Army from 2013 to 2017 and received training in handling classified military information. According to the U. S. Department of Justice, he later became an intermediary in a scheme that operated from November 2021 through March 2025.

Investigators say Duan paid active-duty U.S. service members to obtain materials and equipment sought by buyers. The information collected through the scheme was subsequently passed to individuals in China. The material of interest included information about Bradley and Stryker combat vehicles and the HIMARS artillery system, as well as technical manuals, intelligence reports, training materials and computer equipment.

According to court documents, money used to finance the operation came from Chinese accounts. Approximately $38,500 was transferred to accounts linked to Duan between 2021 and 2023, followed by another roughly $15,000 in 2023 and 2024. Prosecutors say Duan then distributed the money among other participants in the scheme.

Duan faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and three years of supervised release. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 10.