Following a five-day trial and one day of deliberation, the jury found Wei guilty on six counts, including conspiracy to commit espionage, espionage, and unlawful export of, and conspiracy to export, technical data related to defence articles. He is scheduled to be sentenced on 1 December.
“The defendant, who took an oath to protect our Nation and was entrusted with a security clearance as a petty officer in the United States Navy, sold out his country for $12,000,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “He violated his oath, betrayed his uniform and fellow sailors, and turned his back on his adopted nation for money. This verdict serves as a warning to those who do not take seriously the solemn obligations of their positions of trust or their duty to this Nation. Do not be tempted by easy money because you will be prosecuted and sent to prison.”
“The defendant’s actions represent an egregious betrayal of the trust placed in him as a member of the U.S. military,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon for the Southern District of California. “By trading military secrets to the People’s Republic of China for cash, he jeopardized not only the lives of his fellow sailors but also the security of the entire nation and our allies. The jury’s verdict serves as a crucial reminder that the Department of Justice will vigorously prosecute traitors.”
“Jinchao Wei swore oaths to become a U.S. Navy sailor and a U.S. citizen. He then committed espionage by sending photographs and videos of U.S. Navy vessels, ship movement information, technical manuals, and weapons capabilities to a Chinese intelligence officer,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “China continues to aggressively target U.S. military members with and without clearances. This guilty verdict shows the FBI and our partners will aggressively investigate and hold accountable anyone who threatens U.S. national security. We encourage past and present U.S. government personnel to beware of anyone offering to pay for their information or opinions and to report any suspicious contacts to the FBI.”
Evidence presented at trial showed Wei was a machinist’s mate for the amphibious assault ship U.S.S. Essex, holding a U.S. security clearance with access to sensitive defence systems. In February 2022, he was contacted on social media by someone posing as a naval enthusiast, who was in fact a Chinese intelligence officer.
Between February 2022 and his arrest in August 2023, Wei provided extensive information about the Essex, including photographs, videos and weapons data, as well as details from restricted Navy computer systems about other vessels. The prosecution presented messages and communications showing efforts to conceal the exchanges, instructions from his handler, and evidence of payments made to Wei.
Alongside the espionage charges, Wei was convicted of four counts of conspiring to violate and violating the Arms Export Control Act, which prohibits exporting technical defence data without a licence. Investigators from the FBI and NCIS led the case, with assistance from the Department of State and the Transportation Security Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Parmley for the Southern District of California and Trial Attorney Adam Barry of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice.
