Chinese-Born U.S. Navy Sailor Convicted of Acting as a Spy for the Chinese Communist Party

Chinese-born U.S. Navy sailor Jinchao Wei, 25, was convicted on Wednesday of acting as a spy for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) after he sold military secrets to a Chinese intelligence officer for $12,000.

“The defendant’s actions represent an egregious betrayal of the trust placed in him as a member of the U.S. military. 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,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon for the Southern District of California.

Wei, who used the Western name “Patrick,” was arrested in August 2023 at the home port of the U.S. Pacific Fleet Naval Base San Diego in California when he arrived to work on the amphibious assault ship U.S.S. Essex.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), amphibious assault ships resemble small aircraft carriers and serve as the “cornerstone” of the Navy’s amphibious readiness and expeditionary strike capabilities.

Court records revealed that Wei, as a machinist’s mate, held security clearance and had access to defense secrets involving ship propulsion, weapons, and desalination systems.

A Chinese intelligence agent first recruited Wei in February 2022 via social media, while initially posing as a navy enthusiast working for the government-owned China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation. Court records show that Wei was likely aware that he was communicating with a Chinese intelligence agent, despite the agent’s cover story.

Eight days after he was first contacted by the intelligence agent, Wei informed a friend that a person he believed to be a Chinese intelligence agent was offering to pay him $500 to inform him about which ships were docked at the base on a daily basis and had expressed interest in naval maintenance systems.

“This is quite obviously fucking espionage,” Wei reportedly told his friend.

Wei’s friend told him that he should delete the contact. Instead, Wei transitioned his conversation with the Chinese spy to an encrypted messaging app and continued his espionage activities.

From March 2022 to the time of his arrest, Wei sent the intelligence officer photos of the Essex, reported on the locations of Navy ships, described defensive weapons, explained problems with ships, and sent thousands of pages of technical and operational information on naval ships stolen from a restricted computer. Overall, he also stole 60 technical manuals on naval systems, including a variety of sensitive information on naval ships.

Wei, a naturalized citizen, betrayed the U.S. for just $12,000 paid to him over 18 months.

Communications between Wei and his handler revealed at trial that Wei began to refer to the Chinese agent as “Big Brother Andy.” They reportedly used multiple encrypted messaging apps to communicate. Wei created multiple accounts to accept the funds provided by the Chinese government and used a new phone and computer provided by his handler for espionage.

Shortly before the espionage began, Wei had received training on how to identify foreign efforts to recruit agents and had read a previous DOJ press release about a similar case.

The handler reportedly also offered to pay for Wei and his mother to go on a trip to China.

Wei was found guilty of conspiracy to commit espionage and espionage, both of which carry possible life sentences and $250,000 fines, conspiracy to export defense articles without a license, and exporting defense articles without a license.

Wei was found not guilty on a charge of naturalization fraud, which is leveled at naturalized citizens who obtained citizenship through fraud and can lead to denaturalization if a conviction is secured.

He will be sentenced on December 1.

This is far from the only case of China successfully stealing U.S. technology through military personnel or Chinese nationals living in the U.S.