A federal judge in San Diego sentenced Jinchao Wei, also known as Patrick Wei, 25, a former engineer on the U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship USS Essex, to 16 years of incarceration on charges of espionage for the People’s Republic of China. In August 2023, a jury found Wei guilty on six counts, including espionage, establishing that he received more than $12,000 in exchange for selling classified data.
Per materials from the U.S. Department of Justice, Wei provided Chinese intelligence operatives with technical and operational manuals covering U.S. Navy vessels and management systems. In particular, he sold 60 manuals to an intelligence officer operating undercover as a staff member of the state-run China State Shipbuilding Corporation. The files encompassed data on weapons management, aviation systems, and deck elevators, and included export control details and technical specifications for Essex-type ships capable of deploying over 2,000 Marines.
The Wei case is part of wider apprehension among U.S. officials concerning the espionage threat from the Chinese government, which U.S. law enforcement indicates regularly employs unlawful tactics, including cyber intrusions, to secure government and commercial intelligence. Wei was recruited in 2022 through social networks by an intelligence officer presenting himself as a naval enthusiast. Despite harboring suspicions regarding his contact, he persisted in sharing information.
Notably, in August 2023, charges on similar counts were brought against another sailor from a California base, Wenhen Zhao. In 2024, Zhao pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of bribery in violation of official duties and was sentenced to over two years of imprisonment.