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Former U.S. Navy sailor gets more than 16 years for selling secrets to China

/ CBS/AP

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, prosecutors said.

A federal judge in San Diego sentenced Jinchao Wei, also known as Patrick 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 .

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 for years expressed concern about the espionage threat they say the Chinese government poses, bringing criminal cases in recent years against Beijing intelligence operatives who have stolen sensitive government and commercial information, including through illegal hacking.

Wei held a security clearance that gave him access to sensitive national security defense information about the ship's operations and capabilities.   

Wei was recruited via social media in 2022 by an intelligence officer who portrayed himself as a naval enthusiast working for the state-owned China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, prosecutors said.

Evidence presented in court showed Wei told a friend that the person was "extremely suspicious" and that it was "quite obviously" espionage. Wei disregarded the friend's advice to delete the contact and instead moved conversations with the intelligence officer to a different encrypted messaging app Wei believed was more secure, prosecutors said.

Over the course of 18 months, Wei sent the officer photos and videos of the Essex, advised him of the location of various Navy ships and told him about the Essex's defensive weapons, prosecutors said.

Wei sold the intelligence officer 60 technical and operating manuals, including those for weapons control, aircraft and deck elevators. The manuals contained export control warnings and detailed the operations of multiple systems aboard the Essex and similar ships.

After he was arrested in August 2023, Wei was asked by FBI investigators to describe his actions involving the Chinese intelligence agent. 

"Espionage," he responded, according to prosecutors. They said Wei, during that interview also told investigators, "I'm screwed."

At the time, Wei's lawyer, Sean Jones, said in a statement to CBS News, "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." 

He said Wei "loves America" and "has no allegiance to China," and believed he was selling the information to someone for "the apparent personal or professional benefit of the recipient," and not for the benefit of China. Jones said the information Wei sold consisted of "outdated maintenance manuals to a broken and obsolete steam powered ship." Jones added that he believes Wei's actions had "absolutely no effect on national security" and expressed hope that "given the substantial mitigating factors he will receive a fair sentence."


He was a petty officer second class, which is an enlisted sailor's rank.

The Navy's website says the Essex is equipped to transport and support a Marine Corps landing force of over 2,000 troops during an air and amphibious assault.

In a letter to the judge before sentencing, Wei apologized and said he shouldn't have shared anything with the person who he had considered a friend. Wei said "introversion and loneliness" clouded his judgment.

Jacob Rosen contributed to this report.

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