A former US Navy sailor was sentenced to over 16 years for selling military secrets to China for $12,000, compromising ship details and technical manuals.
WASHINGTON: A federal judge sentenced a former US Navy sailor to more than 16 years in prison for selling military secrets to China.
The US Justice Department said Jinchao Wei was sentenced to 200 months on Monday.
Wei, a machinist’s mate on the USS Essex, sent photos, videos, and technical data to a Chinese intelligence officer between 2022 and 2023.
He was paid $12,000 for the information, which included ship movement details and weapons capabilities.
“This active-duty US Navy sailor betrayed his country and compromised the national security of the United States,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said.
“The Justice Department will not tolerate this behavior.”
Wei was recruited via social media by an officer posing as a naval enthusiast.
Officials said the officer worked for the state-owned China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation.
Wei reportedly told a friend he thought he was “on the radar of a China intelligence organization”.
He also said he was in contact with an “extremely suspicious” person.
After his arrest in August 2023, Wei admitted to providing “thousands of pages” of controlled data.
He was found guilty on espionage charges by a federal jury in California last August.
Another sailor, Wenheng Zhao, was arrested alongside Wei.
Zhao pleaded guilty to conspiracy and bribery charges last year.
He was sentenced to 27 months in prison.
