FORMER US NAVY SAILOR SENTENCED TO 16 YEARS FOR SPYING FOR CHINA
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BY JENN NOMAMIUKOR
A jury found former US Navy sailor Jinchao Wei guilty of spying for China by selling US military secrets to a Chinese intelligence officer, and he was sentenced to 200 months in jail (about 16 years) in federal court. The U.S. Department of Justice announced in a statement on Monday that Wei, 25, also known as Patrick Wei, was sentenced in federal court following his August 2025 espionage conviction by a jury.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said, “Members of the United States military swear to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.
“This active-duty U.S. Navy sailor betrayed his country and compromised the national security of the United States.”
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said Wei violated his oath to the country.
“He made a mockery of these commitments when he chose to endanger our nation and our servicemembers by selling U.S. military secrets to a Chinese intelligence officer for personal profit,” he said.
As a machinist’s mate with a U.S. security clearance, Wei had access to critical national defense data regarding the ship’s armaments, propulsion, and desalination systems, according to the Justice Department.
“Wei betrayed the trust placed in him as a member of the U.S. Navy by knowingly transmitting sensitive military information to a Chinese intelligence officer,” said FBI Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky.
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“This sentencing demonstrates the FBI’s unwavering commitment to protect sensitive national defence information.”
According to U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon, the breach “strike at the heart of our national security” and called for a harsh punishment. The court heard that in February 2022, a Chinese intelligence officer used social media to recruit Wei. Wei continued communicating via encrypted applications and started providing images, videos, ship locations, and technical information about U.S. Navy vessels, even though he had early suspicions that the contact was connected to Chinese intelligence.
“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.
Following a five-day trial, the jury convicted Wei of six counts, including conspiracy to commit espionage, espionage, and unlawful export of defence-related technical data. He was acquitted of one count of naturalisation fraud.
During a post-arrest interview, Wei admitted his actions and described them as “espionage.” In an exchange with FBI agents presented at trial, Wei said, “I’m screwed,” acknowledging he knew he was “not supposed to do that.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
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