U.S. Navy sailor convicted of spying for China in exchange for $12,000
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An aerial view of the Naval Base San Diego in California in 2020. Photo: Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
A U.S. Navy sailor was convicted Wednesday of espionage and five other charges related to selling military secrets while on active duty to a Chinese intelligence officer who recruited him via social media, the Department of Justice announced.
The big picture: The jury accepted prosecutors' allegations that Jinchao Wei, 25, was paid $12,000 over 18 months for selling "Navy secrets" while working as a machinist's mate on the amphibious assault ship, the USS Essex, at Naval Base San Diego, California, in 2023, per a DOJ statement.
- The 25-year-old who's also known as Patrick Wei was convicted of other charges including conspiracy to commit espionage and unlawful export of and conspiracy to export technical data related to defense articles.
State of play: Wei held a U.S. security clearance and had access to sensitive national defense information about the ship's weapons, propulsion and desalination systems, the jury was told during the five-day trial.
- At the request of the intelligence officer, he had sent photos and videos of the Essex, "advised the officer of the location of various Navy ships, and described the defensive weapons of the Essex" from March 2022 until he was arrested after arriving for work in August 2023, prosecutors alleged.
- "Wei called his handler 'Big Brother Andy' and obliged requests to keep their relationship secret," per the DOJ.
- The San Diego resident utilized encrypted apps and other methods and used a new computer and phone provided by his handler, according to the evidence.
Zoom in: The intelligence officer who recruited him in February 2022 initially portrayed himself as a naval enthusiast who worked for the state-owned China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, prosecutors said.
- "The evidence showed that even during the early days of his espionage career, Wei strongly suspected the intelligence officer's true identity and motive," the DOJ said.
- The China-born naturalized U.S. citizen told a Navy friend he thought he was "on the radar of a China intelligence organization" after the officer offered to pay him $500 and said he was "no idiot" and that "this is quite obviously f**king espionage," according to the DOJ.
What they're saying: "The defendant's actions represent an egregious betrayal of the trust placed in him as a member of the U.S. military," U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon said in a statement.
- "By trading military secrets to the People's Republic of China for cash, he jeopardized not only the lives of his fellow sailors but also the security of the entire nation and our allies."
For the record: A second sailor, who was arrested on the same day as Wei, was sentenced in January to 27 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring with a Chinese intelligence officer and receiving a bribe.
What's next: Wei, who was found not guilty of one count of naturalization fraud, is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 1.
Go deeper: U.S. slams China's intelligence services after American sailor's "betrayal"
