A U.S. Navy sailor has been convicted of selling military secrets to China, the Department of Justice announced. Jinchao Wei, a 25-year-old previously stationed at Naval Base San Diego, sold information to a Chinese intelligence officer for $12,000.
Wei was a machinist’s mate for the U.S.S. Essex and held a security clearance that allowed him access to sensitive defense information about the ship’s systems. In 2022, Wei was approached via social media by an individual claiming to be a naval enthusiast who was later discovered to be a member of Chinese intelligence.
“The defendant, who took an oath to protect our Nation and was entrusted with a security clearance as a petty officer in the United States Navy, sold out his country for $12,000,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said in a statement. “He violated his oath, betrayed his uniform and fellow sailors, and turned his back on his adopted nation for money. This verdict serves as a warning to those who do not take seriously the solemn obligations of their positions of trust or their duty to this Nation. Do not be tempted by easy money because you will be prosecuted and sent to prison.”
Wei has been charged with six counts, the DOJ said, including “conspiracy to commit espionage, espionage, and unlawful export of, and conspiracy to export, technical data related to defense articles in violation of the Arms Export Control Act and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.”
Wei is scheduled to be sentenced on December 1.
Similarly, a former U.S. Army Sergeant pleaded guilty to attempting to deliver military information to Chin in June. The man, Joseph Daniel Schmidt, now faces up to ten years in prison.
