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Petty Officer Jinchao "Patrick" Wei, 25, was convicted of six federal charges including espionage. Prosecutors say he passed sensitive Navy ship information to a Chinese intelligence officer for $12,000. Wei is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 1 and faces a lengthy prison term.

A U.S. Navy sailor was convicted in federal court after selling military secrets to China, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Wednesday. Jinchao Wei, a 25-year-old Navy sailor previously stationed at Naval Base San Diego, now potentially faces life in prison after he sold defense articles to a Chinese intelligence agent for $12,000, according to the DOJ. Wei was arrested in August 2023 after selling the secrets for nearly 18 months, sending technical documentation, naval vessel whereabouts and defensive specifications of vessels. 00:34 03:36 Read More “The defendant’s actions represent an egregious betrayal of the trust placed in him...

A US Navy sailor in California has been convicted of espionage for selling the force's secrets to a Chinese agent who recruited him through social media. Jinchao Wei, 25, was convicted of six charges, including espionage, conspiracy to commit espionage, and unlawful export of classified data about US Navy ships. "The defendant's actions represent an egregious betrayal of the trust placed in him as a member of the US military," US Attorney Adam Gordon said in a statement after the verdict was read. "By trading military secrets to the People's Republic of China for cash, he jeopardised not only the...

Wei allegedly began communicating with a Chinese intelligence officer in February 2022. Two U.S. Navy servicemembers have been arrested for allegedly transmitting sensitive military information to the Chinese government. Authorities detained Jinchao Wei, aka Patrick Wei, on Wednesday and charged him with "conspiracy to send national defense information to an intelligence officer working for the People’s Republic of China," according to a press release from the Department of Justice. Wei allegedly began communicating with a Chinese intelligence officer in February 2022. That official tasked Wei with providing information related to U.S. Navy ships. At the time, Wei was stationed about...