A former U.S. Navy sailor found guilty of spying for China was sentenced to 200 months in prison on Monday, officials announced.
The big picture: Jinchao Wei “made a mockery” of commitments he made in joining the Navy when he “chose to endanger our Nation and our servicemembers by selling U.S. military secrets to a Chinese intelligence officer for personal profit,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg in a Monday statement.
- “Today’s sentence reflects our commitment to ensuring those who sell our Nation’s secrets pay a very high price for their betrayal,” Eisenberg added.
State of play: The 25-year-old who’s also known as Patrick Wei was arrested in 2023 while working as a machinist’s mate on the amphibious assault ship, the USS Essex, at Naval Base San Diego, California.
- Wei held a U.S. security clearance and had access to sensitive national defense details about the ship’s weapons, propulsion and desalination systems.
- A Chinese intelligence officer recruited him via social media, prosecutors said.
Zoom in: Wei was convicted in August of espionage and five other charges related to selling military secrets while on active duty. He was found not guilty of one count of naturalization fraud.
- A second sailor, who was arrested at the same time as Wei, was sentenced in 2024 to 27 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring with a Chinese intelligence officer and receiving a bribe.
Editor’s note: This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
Source: U.S. Navy sailor sentenced to nearly 17 years in prison for spying for China
