US Navy sailor convicted of spying for China

SAN DIEGO - A US Navy sailor was convicted on Aug 20 of spying for China while on active duty and using his security clearance to sell sensitive information about the capabilities of American warships, including their vulnerabilities.

The sailor, Jinchao Wei, known as Patrick Wei, 25, who was a machinist’s mate aboard the Essex, an amphibious assault ship moored at Naval Base San Diego, will face a maximum possible sentence of life in prison at his sentencing, which is set for Dec 1.

A jury in US District Court in San Diego found Wei guilty on six of seven criminal counts he faced, including two spying charges brought under the Espionage Act, and four conspiracy counts in violation of the Arms Export Control Act.

The US Navy characterised some of the information sold by Wei, for a total of US$12,000 (S$15,426), as “critical technology”.

A second sailor, who was arrested at the same time as Wei, was sentenced in 2024 to 27 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring with a Chinese intelligence officer and accepting a bribe.

Prosecutors said that Wei, a naturalised US citizen who was born in China, had betrayed his adopted country when he used his security clearance to obtain closely held details about the US naval fleet and military operations.

In February 2022, a Chinese intelligence officer recruited Wei on social media, presenting himself as a naval enthusiast who worked for the state-owned China Shipbuilding Industry Corp, investigators said.

In a conversation about a week later, Wei told a friend in the Navy that the person had offered him US$500 for daily updates on which ships were docked at the base.

He told the friend that he was “no idiot” and that what he was being asked “is quite obviously espionage”, adding an expletive, according to the Justice Department, which cited the comment during Wei’s trial.

In one instance, Wei agreed to provide a Chinese intelligence officer with information about “the number and training of US Marines during an upcoming international maritime warfare exercise”, according to a federal indictment.

In exchange for US$5,000, prosecutors said, he gave the contact at least 30 technical and mechanical ship manuals.

“The defendant’s actions represent an egregious betrayal of the trust placed in him as a member of the US military,” Mr Adam Gordon, the US attorney for the Southern District of California, said in a statement on Aug 20.

“By trading military secrets to the People’s Republic of China for cash, he jeopardised not only the lives of his fellow sailors but also the security of the entire nation and our allies. The jury’s verdict serves as a crucial reminder that the Department of Justice will vigorously prosecute traitors.”

In an e-mail on Aug 20, Mr Sean Jones, a lawyer for Wei, said that his client was considering an appeal.

While he acknowledged wrongdoing by Wei, Mr Jones said that his client should not have been charged under the Espionage Act.

“There was clearly substantial evidence of my client’s inappropriate communications with his contact in China,” Mr Jones said. “However the testimony, evidence and even the arguments of the government attorneys made it absolutely clear that Jinchao harbored no anti-American sentiment or intent to harm the USA. He was manipulated by someone he thought was a friend, and betrayed his better judgment.”

Wei, who the prosecutors said was evidently seeking US citizenship while working clandestinely with China, was acquitted on one count of unlawful procurement of citizenship.

The Navy said it had no immediate comment on Wei’s conviction.

During the trial, Wei’s lawyer disputed whether the information he divulged was as sensitive as the federal government had suggested, the military newspaper Stars and Stripes reported.

Arguing that the documents shared by his client could be found online, Mr Jones said that Wei spent most of his days sanding and painting the ship that he was assigned to, and that he was not as important as prosecutors had contended. NYTIMES