Post by : Meena Ariff

A US Navy sailor has been sentenced to more than 16 years in prison for selling important technical manuals and sensitive information about naval ships to a Chinese intelligence officer.

Jinchao Wei, 25, received a 200-month prison term from a federal judge in San Diego on Monday. Wei served as an engineer on the USS Essex, an amphibious assault ship, and was found guilty on six charges, including espionage. The court was told he received over $12,000 in exchange for the classified information.

Wei was one of two sailors from California charged this year for leaking military secrets to China. Another sailor, Wenheng Zhao, was sentenced to more than two years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy and accepting bribes.

US officials have long been concerned about spying activities linked to the Chinese government. Investigations have focused on individuals accused of stealing sensitive military and commercial information, often by recruiting insiders or hacking.

Prosecutors said Wei was contacted in 2022 by someone posing as a naval enthusiast working for a Chinese state-owned shipbuilding company. Although Wei expressed suspicion about the contact to a friend, he continued communicating with the individual, moving their conversations to a different secure messaging platform.

Over an 18-month period, Wei sent photos and videos of the USS Essex, shared the locations of naval ships, and revealed details about the ship’s defense systems. He sold 60 technical manuals covering weapons control, aircraft operations, and more. These manuals contained warnings that they should not be shared outside the United States.

Wei held the rank of petty officer second class. The USS Essex is capable of carrying and supporting over 2,000 Marines during military missions.

Before sentencing, Wei wrote a letter to the judge apologizing for his actions. He said feelings of loneliness and introversion clouded his judgment and led him to make a serious mistake.

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