A U.S. Navy sailor based in San Diego was found guilty of espionage and conspiracy after selling sensitive military information to a person he believed was a Chinese intelligence officer.
Jinchao Wei, 25, worked as a machinist’s mate aboard the USS Essex.
Prosecutors revealed that Wei communicated with the alleged intelligence officer over a Chinese social media platform, beginning their discussions in early 2022.
During these interactions, Wei reportedly agreed to investigate the docking locations of various Navy ships, for which he was offered $500.
This prompted Wei to express awareness of the gravity of the situation, telling a fellow sailor that it was “quite obviously espionage.”
Over the course of the next year and a half, Wei allegedly received over $12,000 in return for transmitting photographs, videos, and thousands of pages of technical documents related to U.S. Navy surface warfare vessels.
Wei was charged with a total of seven counts, of which he was convicted on six.
He was, however, found not guilty of one count concerning naturalization fraud.
His sentencing is scheduled for December 1.
San Diego U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon emphasized the severity of Wei’s actions, stating they represented a serious betrayal of the trust placed in him as a military member.
By selling military secrets to China, Wei jeopardized the safety of his fellow sailors and the security of the United States and its allies.
Wei’s defense attorney, Sean Jones, argued that the government had not sufficiently proven that Wei knowingly participated in espionage.
Jones contended that Wei regarded his discussions with the alleged Chinese officer as educational, believing the individual was merely a Chinese academic interested in military ships.
The attorney characterized the conversations as innocent, which included a specific request that Wei refused, reinforcing his view that Wei was not acting out of malice.
The prosecution and defense debated the significance of the information involved.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Barry claimed that the details Wei shared could potentially be exploited to target or sabotage Navy ships.
In contrast, Jones argued that the materials Wei sent were comparable to an owner’s manual for a car and that much of the content was already publicly available, a claim disputed by Barry.
An important aspect of the case raised by both sides was the absence of political motivation behind Wei’s actions.
While Jones pointed out that this absence indicated a lack of intent to commit espionage, Barry argued that Wei’s motivations were driven by financial gain.
Jones countered that Wei had never solicited payment for the information he provided.
Moreover, the prosecution argued that Wei clearly understood he was acting illegally.
Evidence presented indicated that Wei had been trained by the Navy on how to spot recruitment efforts from foreign governments.
Additionally, a search of his internet history revealed that he had researched cases involving U.S. Navy sailors charged with espionage in the past.
Wei’s prosecution marked a significant milestone, representing the first espionage-related charge filed in the Southern District of California.
At the time of Wei’s arrest, another U.S. Navy sailor, Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao, faced similar charges and subsequently pleaded guilty, leading to a 27-month prison sentence last year.
The case sheds light on the ongoing concerns regarding the recruitment of military personnel by foreign intelligence entities, reflecting the seriousness with which the U.S. judicial system is addressing such threats.
image source from：patch
