A former US Navy sailor has been sentenced to more than 16 years in prison for spying for China. A federal judge in San Diego on Monday sentenced 25-year-old Jinchao Wei to 200 months after a jury found him guilty of selling sensitive technical and operational manuals to a Chinese intelligence officer. Prosecutors stated that Wei, who served as a machinist’s mate aboard the USS Essex, was paid roughly $13,000 for sharing classified secrets with his handlers.
Who is Jinchao Wei?
Wei served as an engineer in the United States Navy and was stationed on the amphibious assault ship USS Essex. He was entrusted with access to technical and operational information about US Navy ships, including systems critical to national defense. A federal judge in San Diego sentenced Wei to 200 months in prison. In August, a federal jury convicted him of six crimes, including espionage. The US Department of Justice said Wei sold classified and export-controlled Navy materials over an 18-month period.
Prosecutors said Wei sold technical and operating manuals that explained how US Navy ships function. The documents included information on power systems, steering, weapons control, aircraft and deck elevators, and damage and casualty control systems. Many of the manuals carried clear export-control warnings stating they could not be shared with foreign entities.
How Wei was recruited
According to prosecutors, Wei was contacted in 2022 through social media by a person who claimed to be a naval enthusiast working for a Chinese state-owned shipbuilding company. Evidence showed that Wei suspected the person was an intelligence officer.
Wei told a friend the contact was “extremely suspicious” and that it was “quite obviously” espionage. Regardless of this, he continued communication and moved conversations to encrypted messaging apps that he believed were more secure.
Over 18 months, Wei sent photos and videos of the USS Essex, shared the locations of US Navy ships, and provided information about the ship’s defensive weapons. He sold around 60 technical manuals, along with dozens of photos and documents related to his Navy duties.
“Wei betrayed the trust placed in him as a member of the US Navy by knowingly transmitting sensitive military information to a Chinese intelligence officer,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “While not everything the FBI does to protect the homeland from China’s intelligence services can be made public, this sentencing demonstrates the FBI’s unwavering commitment to protect sensitive national defense information. It also serves as a reminder that those who choose to put personal gain above their oath and the safety of our nation will be brought to justice.”
Wei called his handler “Big Brother Andy” and followed instructions to keep their relationship secret. He used multiple encrypted apps, deleted messages, used digital “dead drops,” and used electronic devices provided by the intelligence officer.
Wei admits his actions
After his arrest, Wei admitted to investigators that he gave the intelligence officer thousands of pages of sensitive Navy documents and received thousands of dollars in return. He also admitted that he knew his actions were wrong and that he tried to hide them. When asked how he would describe what he had been doing, Wei responded, “espionage.”
Wei was one of two California-based US Navy sailors charged in August 2023 with providing sensitive military information to China. The second sailor, Wenheng Zhao, pleaded guilty and was sentenced in 2024 to more than two years in prison for conspiracy and receiving a bribe.
Officials statements
“Members of the United States military swear to support and defend the Constitution of the United States,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This active-duty US Navy sailor betrayed his country and compromised the national security of the United States. The Justice Department will not tolerate this behaviour. We stand ready to investigate, defend, and protect the interests of the American people.”
“Wei swore loyalty to the United States when he joined the Navy and reaffirmed that oath when he became a citizen,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “He then accepted the solemn responsibility of protecting this Nation’s secrets when the United States entrusted him with sensitive Navy information. He made a mockery of these commitments when he chose to endanger our Nation and our servicemembers by selling US military secrets to a Chinese intelligence officer for personal profit. Today’s sentence reflects our commitment to ensuring those who sell our Nation’s secrets pay a very high price for their betrayal.”
“By sharing thousands of documents, operating manuals, and export-controlled and sensitive information with a Chinese intelligence officer, Petty Officer Wei knowingly betrayed his fellow service members and the American people,” said NCIS Director Omar Lopez. “Today’s outcome demonstrates the shared commitment of NCIS, FBI, the Department of Justice and our Intelligence partners to aggressively pursue and hold accountable those who would put the lethality and readiness of our Naval fleet, as well as our national security, at risk. NCIS remains steadfast in its mission to protect US Navy and Marine Corps forces and warfighting capabilities by neutralizing counterintelligence threats ashore, afloat and in cyberspace.”
“Today’s sentence marks the conclusion of a first-of-its-kind espionage investigation in the district and reflects the seriousness of Wei’s egregious actions against his own country,” said FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Mark Dargis. “The FBI will aggressively defend our homeland from anyone threatening our national security, including those on the inside betraying their sworn duty to the United States. We remain steadfast in protecting the American people and will continue to work with all our law enforcement partners to successfully carry out this mission.”