A former U.S. Navy sailor was sentenced Monday to more than 16 years in prison for selling sensitive warship manuals to a Chinese intelligence officer, federal prosecutors announced.
Jinchao Wei, 25, an engineer assigned to the amphibious assault ship USS Essex, was convicted in August on six counts, including espionage. A federal judge in San Diego imposed a 200-month sentence.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Wei received more than $12,000 for the technical and operational documents.
Wei was one of two California-based sailors charged in August 2023 with providing military secrets to China. The other, Wenheng Zhao, pleaded guilty and was sentenced in 2024 to more than two years in prison.
The case underscores long-standing U.S. concerns about espionage threats from China.
In recent years, Washington has brought multiple criminal cases against Beijing’s intelligence operatives, accusing them of systematically stealing sensitive government and commercial information through espionage and cyber intrusions.
By James Kisoo
