Accommodation Singapore introduces
A Navy sailor may face life in prison after a San Diego jury found him guilty of selling military secrets to China on Thursday.
Prosecutors said Jinchao "Patrick" Wei, 25, used his position as a machinist's mate on the amphibious assault ship USS Essex at Naval Base San Diego to collect sensitive information and offer it to a Chinese intelligence officer who recruited him in February 2022. Wei held a security clearance and had access to information about the weapons systems aboard the Essex.
In exchange, the officer paid Wei $12,000 over a year and a half.
A jury convicted Wei on six of seven charges: espionage, conspiracy to commit espionage, conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act and three counts of violating the Arms Export Control Act.
CHINESE CITIZEN ADMITS STEALING US TRADE SECRETS FOR NEXT-GENERATION NATIONAL SECURITY TECH
The espionage-related charges carry life sentences and a $250,000 fine.
Conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act and each count of violating the act carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
The Chinese intelligence officer approached Wei and posed as a naval enthusiast working for the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, a state-run yard.
Wei suspected the officer of being linked to Chinese intelligence.
"Wei told his friend that he is 'no idiot' and that 'this is quite obviously f---ing espionage,'" according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Still, Wei began spying for the officer, sending pictures of the Essex and describing the vulnerabilities of ships at the San Diego Naval Base.
An attorney for Wei did not deny that his actions were wrong but characterized him as young and naive, arguing he "never intended to harm the United States."
"It was never disputed that Jinchao made numerous errors in judgment. He was young and naive and regrettably agreed to share some very low-level information in exchange for easy money," attorney Sean Jones said in a statement Thursday.
From March 2022 to August 2023, when Wei was arrested, he sent photos, offered the locations of various Navy ships and described the defense weapons on the Essex, the DOJ stated.
TWO CHINESE NATIONALS ARRESTED FOR SPYING ON US NAVY PERSONNEL AND BASES
He sent the Chinese agent "thousands of pages of technical and operational information about U.S. Navy surface warfare ships like the Essex that he took from restricted U.S. Navy computer systems."
U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon said Wei's actions showed an "egregious betrayal of the trust placed in him as a member of the U.S. military."
"By trading military secrets to the People's Republic of China for cash, he jeopardized not only the lives of his fellow sailors but also the security of the entire nation and our allies," Gordon said. "The jury's verdict serves as a crucial reminder that the Department of Justice will vigorously prosecute traitors."
Wei is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 1.
"If there is only one thing I can make clear, it is that Jinchao loves America. He has no allegiance to China," his attorney said. "He made a stupid decision to make some easy money by selling outdated maintenance manuals to a broken and obsolete steam-powered ship. I firmly believe his actions had absolutely no effect on national security.
Multiple Chinese nationals have been arrested for spying on U.S. military bases. Just last month, two were detained in Houston for allegedly trying to collect intelligence about U.S. Navy service members and bases and recruiting other military members to carry out tasks for the country's main foreign intelligence service, the Ministry of State Security.
