"He was indicted by a federal grand jury after allegedly selling national defense information to an intelligence officer working for China for $12,000. "This active-duty U.S. Navy sailor betrayed his country and compromised the national security of the United States," Deputy Atty. Gen. Todd Blanche said in the release. "The Justice Department will not tolerate this behavior. We stand ready to investigate, defend, and protect the interests of the American people.""
"On Feb. 14, 2022, Wei was recruited through social media by a Chinese intelligence officer, who said that he worked for the state-owned China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, according to the release. Wei suspected the intelligence officer's true identity and motive and later told a fellow seaman that he thought he was "on the radar of a China intelligence organization," and that he was talking to an "extremely suspicious" person who was "interested in the maintenance cycle of naval ships," according to the release."
A former active-duty U.S. Navy sailor was sentenced to nearly 16 months in prison after a federal jury conviction for espionage. The sailor, Jinchao Wei, was arrested in August 2023 at Naval Base San Diego after arriving for work on the USS Essex. He allegedly sold national defense information for $12,000 to an intelligence officer working for China. Wei held a U.S. security clearance as a machinist's mate and had access to sensitive information about the ship's weapons and desalination systems. He was recruited via social media in February 2022 by a Chinese intelligence officer and suspected the contact was suspicious; a friend advised him to delete the contact but he did not.
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