Former Navy Sailor Sentenced to 16 Years for Espionage

Wed Jan 14 2026 04:29:52 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Jinchao Wei, a former U.S. Navy sailor, was sentenced to 200 months in prison for selling sensitive military information to a Chinese intelligence officer, highlighting ongoing concerns regarding espionage from China.

Jinchao Wei, 25, a former U.S. Navy sailor, was sentenced to over 16 years in prison for selling military manuals and operational information to a Chinese intelligence officer. Wei was convicted of multiple crimes, including espionage, and received payments totaling over $12,000 for the sensitive information related to the USS Essex and its systems. The case underscores ongoing national security threats posed by foreign espionage.

A former U.S. Navy sailor convicted of selling technical and operating manuals for ships and operating systems to an intelligence officer working for China was sentenced Monday to more than 16 years in prison.

A federal judge in San Diego sentenced Jinchao Wei, 25, to 200 months. Wei was convicted in August on multiple charges, including espionage, and was found to have received over $12,000 for the sensitive information he sold.

Wei, who served as an engineer on the amphibious assault ship USS Essex, was one of two California-based sailors charged with providing military information to China. The other sailor, Wenheng Zhao, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to more than two years in 2024.

U.S. officials have expressed longstanding concerns regarding the espionage threats posed by the Chinese government, which has been involved in stealing sensitive information through various means, including cyberattacks.

Evidence showed that Wei was recruited on social media in 2022 by an individual posing as a naval enthusiast affiliated with the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation. Despite realizing the potential risks, Wei continued to communicate with the officer and shared classified information, including operational details about Navy ships.

Wei sold 60 technical and operating manuals, including details on weapons systems aboard the Essex, which is intended to support Marine Corps operations. In a letter to the judge, he expressed remorse and attributed his actions to feelings of introversion and loneliness.