At a Glance
- A 25-year-old machinist’s mate admitted sending photos, videos, and thousands of pages of ship data to a Chinese contact.
- Over 18 months he collected more than $12,000 in payments funneled through encrypted apps.
- Prosecutors say he Googled past espionage cases and still carried on.
- Why it matters: The sentence is the first of its kind in the Southern District of California, signaling stiffer penalties for insider threats.
A San Diego federal judge on Monday ordered Jinchao Wei to serve 200 months-just over 16 years-behind bars for passing sensitive U.S. Navy information to a Chinese intelligence officer he met online.
Wei, who held the rank of E-3 and maintained the engineering systems aboard USS Essex, was convicted last summer on six of seven counts, including espionage and conspiracy. The case marks the first time the Southern District of California, which covers San Diego and Imperial counties, has won an espionage conviction against a service member.
From Social Media Message to Cash Drop
Federal prosecutors say the scheme began in early 2022 when an unknown user on a Chinese social-media platform asked Wei a simple question: where were certain Navy ships docked? The user offered $500 for the answer.
Wei messaged a shipmate at the time: “This is quite obviously (expletive) espionage.” Yet he still provided the information and, according to trial evidence, kept going.
Over the next year and a half the contact paid Wei more than $12,000 for:
- Photographs and short videos of USS Essex
- Technical manuals totaling thousands of pages
- Operational briefings on surface-warfare tactics
Payments arrived through encrypted apps. The two never met face to face.
Defense: “Academic” Interest, Not Spying
During closing arguments, Wei’s attorney Sean Jones told jurors the government had not proven Wei knew he was dealing with a spy. Jones claimed Wei believed the man was a Chinese academic fascinated by naval architecture and that their chats were “educational.”
Jones said Wei’s “espionage” remark related to a single request Wei ultimately refused. After that refusal, the alleged handler allegedly assured Wei later tasks were harmless.
Prosecutors countered that Wei had completed mandatory Navy training on spotting foreign-recruitment efforts. They also showed jurors his browser history, which included searches for prior Navy espionage cases and their outcomes.
A Rare Sentence for a Rare Charge
U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon hailed the outcome, saying Wei “betrayed his oath, his shipmates, the United States Navy, and the American people-a level of disloyalty that strikes at the heart of our national security and demanded this powerful sentence.”
Wei was arrested in mid-2023 and remained in custody through trial. Besides the prison term, he faces a yet-to-be-set period of supervised release and possible dishonorable discharge proceedings.
The Navy has not commented on whether additional security reviews of personnel with similar clearances will follow.
Key Takeaways
- A 25-year-old sailor will serve over 16 years for espionage, the stiffest sentence of its kind in the region.
- He collected $12,000-plus across 18 months while stationed aboard USS Essex.
- Encrypted apps, covert photo drops, and online research into past spy cases sealed the prosecution’s argument.
- Officials say the punishment underscores the stakes when insiders sell military secrets.
