A former U.S. Navy sailor, sentenced this week to 200 months in prison, was convicted last year for spying for China. Jingchao Wei, 25, was arrested in August 2023 and had worked alongside a machinist on the USS Essex, an amphibious assault ship stationed at Naval Base San Diego. Prosecutors stated that Wei exploited his position to gather sensitive information, which he then provided to a Chinese intelligence officer who had recruited him back in February 2022. For his actions, he reportedly received $12,000 over a period of about 18 months.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche remarked that military personnel take an oath to protect the Constitution, and in this case, “this active-duty U.S. Navy sailor betrayed his country and endangered national security.” He stressed that the Department of Justice is committed to addressing such breaches and safeguarding the interests of Americans.
After his arrest, Wei expressed regret to FBI agents, saying, “I’m a mess,” and acknowledged he shouldn’t have shared certain unclassified documents. The jury found him guilty on several charges, including espionage and violation of the Arms Export Control Act.
The Justice Department reported that Wei sold at least 30 technical and operational manuals about U.S. Navy systems to intelligence officers. These documents contained export control warnings and detailed various onboard operations for the Essex and similar vessels, such as power systems, steering, weapons control, and damage control.
Furthermore, Wei was found to have sold approximately 60 manuals, along with various photographs and articles about the Navy and his service. Many of these manuals flagged export control issues right on the cover.
Assistant Attorney General John Eisenberg noted that Wei had taken an oath of loyalty to the United States, and by accepting responsibility for naval secrets, he should have honored that oath. Instead, he undermined it by selling military secrets for his own gain.
Defense attorneys for Wei did not dispute the wrongdoing but painted him as young and inexperienced, arguing that he never intended to cause harm to the United States.
