A former U.S. Navy sailor convicted of selling technical and operating manuals for ships and operating systems to an intelligence officer working for China was sentenced Monday to more than 16 years in prison. A federal judge in San Diego sentenced Jinchao Wei, 25, to 200 months. A federal jury convicted Wei in August of six crimes, including espionage. He was paid more than $12,000 for the information he sold, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
Wei, an engineer for the amphibious assault ship USS Essex, was one of two California-based sailors charged on Aug. 3, 2023, with providing sensitive military information to China. The other, Wenheng Zhao, was sentenced to more than two years in 2024 after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of receiving a bribe in violation of his official duties.
U.S. officials have long expressed concerns about the espionage threat from the Chinese government, with several criminal cases against Beijing intelligence operatives who have stolen sensitive government and commercial information, often through illegal hacking.
Wei was recruited via social media in 2022 by an intelligence officer who posed as a naval enthusiast working for the state-owned China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation. Evidence presented in court indicated that Wei told a friend that the contact was extremely suspicious and that it appeared to be espionage. Despite being advised to cut ties, Wei moved communications with the intelligence officer to a different encrypted messaging app that he believed was more secure.
Over an 18-month period, Wei provided the officer with photos and videos of the USS Essex, informed him about the locations of various Navy ships, and disclosed details about the ship’s defensive systems. Wei sold the intelligence officer 60 technical and operating manuals that included export control warnings and detailed operations of multiple systems aboard the Essex and similar ships.
In a heartfelt letter to the judge prior to his sentencing, Wei expressed regret and acknowledged that he should never have shared anything with the individual he considered a friend. He attributed his poor judgment to introversion and loneliness. The Navy’s website states that the Essex is capable of transporting and supporting a Marine Corps landing force exceeding 2,000 troops during air and amphibious assaults.
Wei, an engineer for the amphibious assault ship USS Essex, was one of two California-based sailors charged on Aug. 3, 2023, with providing sensitive military information to China. The other, Wenheng Zhao, was sentenced to more than two years in 2024 after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of receiving a bribe in violation of his official duties.
U.S. officials have long expressed concerns about the espionage threat from the Chinese government, with several criminal cases against Beijing intelligence operatives who have stolen sensitive government and commercial information, often through illegal hacking.
Wei was recruited via social media in 2022 by an intelligence officer who posed as a naval enthusiast working for the state-owned China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation. Evidence presented in court indicated that Wei told a friend that the contact was extremely suspicious and that it appeared to be espionage. Despite being advised to cut ties, Wei moved communications with the intelligence officer to a different encrypted messaging app that he believed was more secure.
Over an 18-month period, Wei provided the officer with photos and videos of the USS Essex, informed him about the locations of various Navy ships, and disclosed details about the ship’s defensive systems. Wei sold the intelligence officer 60 technical and operating manuals that included export control warnings and detailed operations of multiple systems aboard the Essex and similar ships.
In a heartfelt letter to the judge prior to his sentencing, Wei expressed regret and acknowledged that he should never have shared anything with the individual he considered a friend. He attributed his poor judgment to introversion and loneliness. The Navy’s website states that the Essex is capable of transporting and supporting a Marine Corps landing force exceeding 2,000 troops during air and amphibious assaults.
