US Navy sailor convicted of espionage for China
Jinchao Wei was found guilty of selling classified details about US Navy ships to a Chinese agent for over $12,000, highlighting risks of insider threats on naval security.
California sailor convicted of espionage
A US Navy machinist's mate based in California was found guilty on six counts, including espionage, after selling classified information about naval vessels to a Chinese intelligence agent.
Arrest and trial
Jinchao Wei, 25, accepted payments totalling over $12,000 in exchange for details on the movements and weapons of Navy ships in the Pacific Fleet. Arrested in August 2023 as he reported for duty aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Essex, Wei, a naturalized citizen, held a security clearance and had access to sensitive data.
Prosecutors presented phone logs, encrypted messages and audio recordings demonstrating that Wei communicated with his handler—whom he referred to as "Big Brother Andy"—through multiple apps, even using a new phone and computer provided by the spy.
Evidence of espionage
During the weeklong trial, evidence included a text message exchange with Wei's mother, in which he admitted leaking secrets. Prosecutors also showed photographs and videos of the USS Essex, descriptions of ship locations and defensive systems, and operational details of other Pacific Fleet vessels.
Potential sentence
Wei faces life in prison when he is sentenced on December 1. He was tried alongside Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao, who received a 27-month sentence last year for providing sensitive imagery and plans of maritime exercises and radar systems to Chinese intelligence.
The conviction highlights persistent security risks posed by insider threats within the US military and underscores the ongoing challenge of defending classified information against foreign intelligence operations.
This topic was reported by BBC.
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