US EditionFormer Navy Sailor Sentenced to 16 Years for Selling Information About Ships to Chinese Intelligence
Jinchao Wei sold about 60 Navy manuals and related materials for over $12,000 to a Chinese intelligence officer over 18 months, prosecutors said.
- On Monday, a federal judge in San Diego sentenced Jinchao "Patrick" Wei to 200 months after a jury convicted him in August on six counts, including espionage.
- Wei joined the Navy in July 2021, reported to the USS Essex in March 2022, and was one of two California-based sailors charged August 3, 2023, at Naval Base San Diego.
- Prosecutors presented evidence that Wei sold 60 technical manuals, including weapons and aircraft guides, and was paid $12,000 while federal agents bugged his apartment and tapped his phone.
- Prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney's Office in San Diego recommended a sentence of more than 20 years, arguing Wei acted for "cold, hard cash," while Judge Huff said a lengthy term was needed to deter others; Wei likely faces civil denaturalization and Navy discharge proceedings.
- U.S. officials note that concerns about Chinese espionage have risen in recent years, while defense attorneys Sean Jones and Michael Bertola argued Wei was manipulated by the intelligence officer posing as a mentor.
55 Articles
55 Articles
US Navy Sailor Sentenced to Nearly 17 Years in Prison for Selling Military Secrets to China
A former U.S. Navy sailor who had been found guilty of providing the Chinese communist regime with sensitive U.S. military information in exchange for money was sentenced to 200 months in prison, the Justice Department said on Monday. Wei Jinchao, also known as Patrick Wei, was arrested on espionage charges in August 2023 after reporting for duty aboard the USS Essex, an amphibious assault ship based in San Diego. Wei, a naturalized U.S. citizen…
Sailor to Serve 16-Year Prison Sentence for Selling Secrets to China
A former U.S. Navy sailor was sentenced Monday to 16 years in prison for espionage after a jury convicted him of selling the sea service’s secrets to China. A federal judge in San Diego, Calif., handed down the 200-month – or 16-year, eight-months – prison sentence to former Machinist’s Mate 2nd Class Jinchao “Patrick” Wei, 25, who was convicted in August of espionage and conspiracy to commit espionage, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Sou…
Chinese-born U.S. sailor convicted of espionage in California sentenced to more than 16 years
A jury convicted Jinchao “Patrick” Wei in August on six counts of conspiracy, espionage and charges related to unlawfully sending defense information to a foreign government.
The Department of Justice reported that a former U.S. Navy sailor was sentenced in a federal court to more than 16 years in prison for spying on China. This is Jinchao Wei, 25, also known as Patrick Wei, who was arrested in August 2023 on espionage charges upon arriving at work on the USS Essex amphibious assault ship at the San Diego Naval Base, base port of the Pacific Fleet.Read more]]>
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 55% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
