U.S. Navy Sailor Who Sold Warship Secrets To China Learns His Fate

A U.S. Navy sailor, Jinchao Wei, has been sentenced to over 16 years in prison for selling technical and operating manuals for ships and operating systems to an intelligence officer working for China, according to prosecutors.

Federal judge in San Diego sentenced Wei, 25, to 200 months in prison.

Wei was convicted of six crimes, including espionage, by a federal jury in August.

The U.S. Department of Justice stated that Wei was paid over $12,000 for the information he sold.

Wei, an engineer for the USS Essex, was one of two California-based sailors charged with providing sensitive military information to China.

The other sailor, Wenheng Zhao, was sentenced to over two years in 2024 after pleading guilty to conspiracy and receiving a bribe.

U.S. officials have been concerned about Chinese espionage threats, leading to criminal cases against Beijing intelligence operatives.

Wei was recruited through social media by an intelligence officer posing as a naval enthusiast for the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation.

Wei shared sensitive military information with the officer over 18 months, including photos and videos of the USS Essex and details about its defensive weapons.

He sold the officer 60 technical manuals, which contained information about weapons control, aircraft, and deck elevators.

Wei, a petty officer second class, apologized in a letter to the judge before sentencing, citing “introversion and loneliness” as clouding his judgment.